BRAND IDENTITY PROPOSAL ======================= Disclaimer — not legal advice. This template is provided free of charge, as is and with no warranty of any kind, and using it creates no attorney-client relationship. It is jurisdiction-neutral: you are responsible for adapting it, for your own legal and tax compliance, and for having a qualified professional in your jurisdiction review it before you rely on it. Full terms: https://trycolo.co/terms-of-use Prepared for: [CLIENT CONTACT NAME], [CLIENT COMPANY NAME] Prepared by: [YOUR NAME / STUDIO NAME], [YOUR EMAIL] Date: [DATE] | Proposal ref: [PROPOSAL NUMBER] | Valid until: [EXPIRY DATE] 1. Why now ---------- [ONE OR TWO PARAGRAPHS ON THE BUSINESS SITUATION. Example: "[CLIENT COMPANY] has grown from a single studio to [NUMBER] locations, but its visual identity was assembled piece by piece and looks different on every channel. Ahead of [EVENT / LAUNCH / FUNDRAISE] in [MONTH], the team wants a brand that reflects who it serves today and can be applied consistently by staff without design help."] What success looks like: [E.G. ONE CONSISTENT IDENTITY ACROSS ALL LOCATIONS AND CHANNELS / A BRAND THAT APPEALS TO [NEW AUDIENCE] / A TEAM THAT CAN PRODUCE ON-BRAND MATERIALS FROM TEMPLATES] Total investment: [CURRENCY] [TOTAL FEE] across four phases. 2. Decision-makers ------------------ Role | Name | Involvement -------------- | -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- Final approver | [NAME, TITLE] | Signs off each phase gate Core team | [NAMES] | Attends workshop, gives consolidated feedback via final approver Interviewees | [NUMBER] staff / customers | Phase 1 interviews only 3. Phase 1: Strategy -------------------- Activity | Detail ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stakeholder interviews | Up to [NUMBER] interviews of [30–45] minutes Audience review | [CUSTOMER INTERVIEWS / SURVEY REVIEW / EXISTING RESEARCH] Competitor review | Visual and messaging review of [NUMBER] competitors Strategy workshop | [HALF-DAY / FULL-DAY] session with the core team, [IN PERSON / REMOTE] Strategy document | Audience, positioning statement, brand attributes, competitive map, name and tagline review Gate 1: the final approver signs off the strategy document before Phase 2 begins. Changes to strategy after this gate may change the design scope and fee. 4. Phase 2: Identity design --------------------------- Component | Deliverable ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Logo suite | Primary, secondary/stacked, symbol, one-color versions Color palette | Primary and secondary colors with print and screen values and contrast notes Typography | [1–2] type families and a hierarchy for headings, body and captions Imagery direction | [PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE / ILLUSTRATION STYLE / ICON SET OF [NUMBER] ICONS] Graphic elements | [PATTERNS, SHAPES, GRIDS AS RELEVANT] Presentation: [2] identity directions, each shown on [NUMBER] real applications and explained against the approved brand attributes. Refinement: [2] rounds on the chosen direction. Gate 2: written approval of the final identity before Phase 3. 5. Phase 3: Core applications ----------------------------- # | Application | Format - | -------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- 1 | Business card | Print-ready file 2 | Letterhead and document template | [SOFTWARE] template 3 | Slide presentation template | [SOFTWARE], [NUMBER] master layouts 4 | Social media templates | [NUMBER] templates for [PLATFORMS] 5 | Email signature | HTML and image 6 | [SIGNAGE / PACKAGING / UNIFORM] mockup | Concept visual Further applications are quoted separately at [CURRENCY] [RATE] or per item. 6. Phase 4: Brand guidelines and handover ----------------------------------------- Brand guidelines document ([NUMBER] pages, PDF): - Brand story, positioning and attributes - Logo usage, clear space, minimum size and misuse examples - Color values and accessible combinations - Typography hierarchy and fallback fonts - Imagery and illustration guidance with examples - Voice and tone notes with sample sentences - Application examples Asset library: all logo files, color swatches, templates and icons organized in a shared folder. Handover session: [60]-minute walkthrough with the team. 7. Timeline ----------- Phase | Weeks | Gate date -------------------------------- | -------- | --------- Phase 1: Strategy | [NUMBER] | [DATE] Phase 2: Identity design | [NUMBER] | [DATE] Phase 3: Core applications | [NUMBER] | [DATE] Phase 4: Guidelines and handover | [NUMBER] | [DATE] Each gate includes [5] business days for review. Delays in approvals move later dates by the same amount. 8. Investment ------------- Phase | Amount ---------------------------------------- | ---------------------- Phase 1: Strategy | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Phase 2: Identity design | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Phase 3: Core applications | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Phase 4: Guidelines and handover | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Total (excluding [TAX] where applicable) | [CURRENCY] [TOTAL FEE] Payment schedule Payment | Trigger | Amount -------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ------------------- Deposit | On acceptance | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Second payment | Gate 1, strategy approved | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Third payment | Gate 2, identity approved | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Balance | On delivery of guidelines, before final files | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Third-party costs (billed at cost or licensed by the client): font licenses, stock photography, printing, workshop venue and travel. 9. Ownership and licenses ------------------------- - On payment in full, the client owns the final logo suite, guidelines and templates created for this project. - Unused directions and sketches remain with the designer. - Typefaces and stock images remain subject to their own licenses, held in the client's name. - Trademark searches and registration are the client's responsibility and are recommended before launch. - Full terms are in the attached [DESIGN CONTRACT / IP ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT]. 10. Acceptance -------------- Client | Designer ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- Signature: ____________________ | Signature: ____________________ Name: [CLIENT SIGNATORY NAME] | Name: [YOUR NAME] Company: [CLIENT LEGAL NAME] | Business: [YOUR BUSINESS NAME] Date: [DATE] | Date: [DATE] ------------------------------------------------------------ How to use this template 1. Name the final approver in section 2 before you send. Branding without a decision-maker stalls. 2. Keep the two gates. They protect both the client's budget and your scope. 3. List every application in section 5. Delete rows you are not offering. 4. Move font and image licensing into the client's name from day one. 5. Book the handover session before you deliver the final files. Template provided by Colo (trycolo.co). Not legal advice — review with a qualified professional in your jurisdiction.