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At a Glance Graphics: Essential Tips for Compelling Proposal Graphics

This blog shares practical tips from our "At a Glance Graphics" webinar on turning words and data into compelling proposal visuals. Learn how to overcome common challenges and create high-impact graphics that enhance your proposals.

Kees Hendrickx

Published

July 24, 2024

Length

3 min read

In today’s fast-paced business environment, effectively communicating complex information is crucial.

VisibleThread recently hosted a webinar titled “At a Glance Graphics” with expert Mike Parkinson, focusing on proposal graphics. Mike is a self professed geek. He is a CPP APMP Fellow, 1 of 36 Microsoft PowerPoint MVPs in the world, a best-selling author, and an industry thought leader. Mike is a partner at 24 Hour Company (www.24hrco.com), a premier creative services firm, and owns Billion Dollar Graphics (www.BillionDollarGraphics.com).

The webinar explored the latest trends and techniques for turning words and data into engaging visuals that grab attention and convey messages clearly. For professionals looking to improve their bids and proposals, mastering these graphic creation skills is not just helpful—it’s essential.

During the webinar, participants shared their biggest challenges when creating proposal graphics. The results showed: 45% struggle with finding the right tools, 35% face time constraints, and 20% lack design skills. Mike highlighted three key takeaways from these findings:

Finding the right tools: Nearly half of the participants need help selecting graphic creation tools. This emphasizes the importance of recommending easy-to-use and efficient tools.
Time constraints: Over a third are short on time, indicating a need for streamlined processes and time-saving tools in graphic creation.
Design skills: A smaller but significant portion lacks design expertise, suggesting that training or accessible resources would be helpful.

Mike shared practical tips and techniques to help professionals create winning proposal graphics. He discussed how to effectively communicate complex information using the latest trends and methods for creating engaging visuals. Let’s look at the key takeaways from this session and learn how to transform your proposals with effective graphics.

Key Takeaways

Clarity is king: Mike emphasizes that modern evaluators want clear, concise information. Effective at-a-glance graphics prevent miscommunication and ensure a message is understood immediately.
Latest trends in graphic design: The webinar introduces the latest tools and software for converting text into engaging visuals. This includes vector-based graphics using PowerPoint, and Adobe Illustrator.
Power of visual communication: Mike highlights that well-designed graphics have a lasting impact. Combining text and visuals can create a powerful “marriage made in heaven,” significantly enhancing proposal effectiveness.
Enhancing bids and proposals: By using the GASCAP method, you can craft compelling graphics that showcase your proposal’s strengths. The GASCAP method stands for Goal, Announcement, Story, Chunk, Assemble, and Picture. This approach boosts your chances of winning contracts.

Graphics aren't better than text and text isn't better than graphics. You put them together, you have a marriage made in heaven.

Mike Parkinson

Q&A with Mike from the Webinar

Q:“How can we ensure that a timeline graphic fits on the page while spanning multiple years?”
A: Mike recommends using the GASCAP process to eliminate unnecessary content. Adopting a material or flat style to minimize embellishment, and making tough decisions about what information is essential.

Q:“What are the best practices for adapting existing graphics to meet RFP requirements?”
A: Focus on the graphic’s goal and the specific RFP requirements. Edit the content down to what’s necessary and use AI tools for text reduction if appropriate.

During the Q&A session, Mike tackled real-world concerns about creating effective graphics for proposals. He highlighted two key challenges: fitting complex information into limited space and adapting designs to meet specific requirements. To overcome these hurdles, Mike emphasized the importance of clarity and relevance. He encouraged proposal professionals to carefully review their content before sharing it with others. Use AI tools to shorten text and adopt a structured approach like GASCAP. This will help streamline your graphic creation process and produce visuals that are both compliant and impactful.

Final Thoughts

As Mike aptly demonstrated, the power of at-a-glance graphics lies in their ability to simplify and clarify. By embracing innovative tools and techniques, proposal professionals can overcome common challenges like time constraints and lack of design skills. To take your proposals to the next level, try using a structured approach like GASCAP. This method can help you create high-quality visuals that engage and persuade evaluators. Investing in graphic skills is a smart move that can lead to greater business success and more contract wins.

Click here to watch the full webinar