“Make It Pop!” – Proposal Design for the Non-Designer Webinar Recap
By Isabel Reicher
Jane Jessen and Ivy Renfroe of Transpo Group led an engaging and approachable online workshop aimed at demystifying the fundamentals of proposal design for non-designers. Recognizing that many professionals in A/E/C marketing and business development roles have limited formal training in graphic design, the session provided a practical introduction to tools and techniques that enhance the clarity and visual impact of proposals—offering solutions to vague creative directives like “make it pop.”
The workshop focused on objective principles of effective design, including alignment, hierarchy, repetition, white space, and emphasis. Each concept was illustrated with clear examples relevant to proposal development. It was refreshing to have these principles clearly explained—especially those design choices that often seem intuitive but have a real impact on readability and visual cohesion. The session also covered typography fundamentals, including kerning, tracking, and leading, and how these adjustments influence a document's overall visual appeal and legibility.
A live demonstration offered step-by-step guidance on using parent pages and paragraph styles in InDesign, along with practical tips for improving consistency and layout efficiency. The session wrapped up with a hands-on activity and an open Q&A, allowing attendees to immediately apply what they had learned.
This thoughtfully structured event empowered participants to approach proposal design with greater confidence—showing that impactful design is rooted in informed, intentional choices.
Isabel Reicher is the Marketing Proposal Manager at Mark Cavagnero Associates, a San Francisco-based architecture firm. She leads firm-wide marketing strategy and oversees the development of proposals, presentations, and collateral to support the firm’s diverse, award-winning portfolio of public, non-profit, and private sector projects.
