By Mike Parkinson
In the real world of proposal development, we often have less than optimal time, money, and resources to create the graphics we need to give us the best shot at winning. So the question is, how can you ensure that your proposal graphics look as professional as possible with limited resources? Follow these few simple rules:
1. Stay Consistent.
Create and use a template that shows
fonts, colors, line widths, and box and icon styles so your graphics and
slides will have a consistent look and feel. Internal consistency cultivates a
feeling of trust because it indicates to the audience that the information
presented was designed through careful consideration. Inconsistency breeds
confusion. Changes in graphic style, color, shape, and iconography without
your target audience's understanding of the change results in
miscommunication. If a change occurs at any point (element to element or
graphic to graphic) and no reason is given, confusion is the likely outcome.
Alternatively, your audience may link an unintended meaning to the change. For example, changing the color of one box in a graphic indicates to your audience that this box is different. Why? Did you explain the difference? Is it obvious? Is it important? Do not add variables where none are needed. Never assume your audience knows the reason or understands the relevance. Clearly define and establish relevancy of any change in consistency.
2. Keep it clean and simple.
Unnecessary visual clutter and too much
data interfere with audience understanding. Focus on your audience's most
important questions. You cannot achieve the primary objective if your target
audience cannot quickly digest your visual or is confused by the graphic. If
your graphic is too verbose or complex, suggest using another standalone
graphic to communicate what could not be included in one visual.
Avoid using too many different
images, lines, shapes, patterns, textures, and
colors. Doing so helps eliminate unnecessary visual noise that interferes
with your graphic's primary objective. Avoid "fancy" shading, text
treatments, and gradients. Most built-in effects (as found in Microsoft
PowerPoint) can look hokey and less professional than if you were to leave
the element as it is. Most built-in effects (as found in Microsoft
PowerPoint) can look hokey and less professional than if your were to leave
the element as it is. Most built-in effects result in a cartoon-like
appearance that is probably antithetical to your company's goal of being seen
as the professional solutions provider. Avoid angled and curved connecting lines.
Align your shapes and lines onto a grid to communicate that you and your organization
offer structure. It also ensures that your graphic is easier to disseminate.
Ockham's Razor, a widely accepted and
proven postulate, asserts that simplicity in all design is preferred over
complexity. Unnecessary visual complexity increases the likelihood of
audience misinterpretation, confusion, and unintended consequences. There are
some instances where seemingly challenging or cluttered graphics are easily
read and digested by your target audience.
For example, an Earned Value Management System (EVMS) graphic might be confusing to most but would be very clear to those who have learned to read such graphical data. To the trained viewer, the EVMS graphic shows a risk probability schedule. It quickly communicates how potential changes in budget at different milestones can have a ripple effect on future costs.
As always, do your homework. Before developing and presenting specialty graphic types, icons, symbols, or imagery, be sure your audience understands what it is you are communicating.
The "10 second rule" has helped me create successful proposal graphics. There are several interpretations but I find this definition most applicable: If your target audience doesn't know and understand the main point of your graphic within 10 seconds, the graphic will probably fail to achieve its primary objective. In many instances you have far less than 10 seconds. Your goal is to communicate as quickly and clearly as possible.
Unfortunately, I have seen a cluttered, dense, hard-to-understand graphic achieving the primary objective, especially in business graphics. Perhaps the target audience needed that level of detail to understand the concept being presented. However, it is more likely that the audience ignored the lack of clarification and/or explanation. The audience may have chosen this potentially flawed path of reasoning: "The graphic looks good. It has all the terms and elements I needed to see. It looks as complicated as a solution to this problem should be. I don't feel like figuring it out anymore. I've heard this company is trustworthy. It seems good enough to me. Let's move forward." Or perhaps the audience felt that if they asked for clarification they would appear unintelligent. Whatever the reason, although the graphic failed to communicate all intended messages, it succeeded in its primary objective.
The graphic used what I call "razzle dazzle"—when the author or designer, purposefully or not, uses attractive or dense visuals or a complicated layout rather than focusing on the audience's need to understand. Was the graphic successful? Only if their goal was to confuse the audience and hope they reached a decision that coincided with the primary objective. This is a poor, potentially unethical tactic.
3. Label elements directly to
avoid confusion.
When depicting steps in a process,
label them as such. The clearer your labels, the more effective your
clarification and/or explanation. As a result, your graphic is more likely
to be successful. Avoid legends. Legends add visual clutter and force the
audience to waste valuable time deciphering your message.
4. Use a "smart" color palette.
First, a little about color...
Color consists of three variables:
- Hue - where on the color wheel the color appears
- Saturation - the intensity or vibrancy of the color
- Value - the lightness or darkness of the color.
- Analogous - colors that appear next to one an other on the color wheel like blue, green, and yellow
- Complementary - colors that are across from one another on the color wheel like red and green
Analogous colors are a better choice when developing your color palette because complementary colors vibrate when next to one another. I suggest using two or three analogous colors with multiple shades (or tints) of each. The colors you choose do not have to be analogous but when choosing your colors make sure that they work well together (harmonious). You can use additional colors but use these color(s) for highlighting or special circumstances.
Which colors should you choose? If your goal is to ramp up sales, use your customer's colors whether their colors are analogous or not (even if they are downright ugly). Your customer wants to see themselves in your graphics. If your goal is to increase mindshare, use your company's colors. If you want to play it safe, use blues and greens. (Most Western cultures vote blue and green as the most appealing colors.)
Mike Parkinson has spearheaded multi-billion dollar projects and created thousands of graphics resulting in billions of dollars in increased revenue for his clients. Mike has supported trial attorneys and created ad campaigns, tutorials, corporate briefings, Web portals, medical training software, and more. In 1999, he became part owner of 24 Hour Company (www.24hrco.com). Mike leveraged his design experience to help his partners transform the company into an industry leader. He is often requested to speak at national conferences, large and small companies, and graphic industry events. Recently, Mike wrote the first and only book that teaches busy business professionals to conceptualize communicative, persuasive graphics (www.BillionDollarGraphics.com).
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