Design is often seen as the final flourish. But in strategic work-winning, design is part of the core solution. 

We sat down with Reece, our senior graphic designer, to explore his process, his perspective, and why design is about so much more than people think.

Q: What’s the biggest misconception clients have about branding or design?

A: The time it takes to create and develop visually engaging material, along with the skills required. There’s often a lack of understanding of how important design aesthetics and composition are to a business. Design is an opportunity to show an audience what your business is all about, in a professional, eye-catching way.

Q: Why does visual design matter in a competitive bid or tender?

A: In a competitive tender, to win a contract, you need to stand out. That means a structured, well-written proposal that provides confidence and clarity – but also one that is visually and aesthetically attractive.
It shows that the tenderer has made the effort to develop a solution to the customer’s ambitions.
It’s also a chance to tell a story in an engaging way – especially in how you show how the customer’s challenges will be navigated. Clear diagrams and process/flow graphics go a long way to communicating solutions.

Q: What’s one design element clients often overlook, but that makes a big impact?

A: Typography and white space. These elements control the feel, the readability, and the overall professionalism of a document. They’re more powerful than most people realise.

Q: What advice would you give a client developing a new brand identity?

A: It depends on their answers to a few questions:
1. Why do you need new branding?
2. What do you want to achieve from it?
3. What do your competitors look like, and what do you like or dislike about their appearance and approach?

Understanding those answers helps create something that’s strategic, not just new for the sake of it.

Q: What’s your creative process when starting a new project?

A: It’s always the same: I compile all the assets and information I’ll need for a document or campaign and obtain a brief from the client.

I set documents up with bleeds, sequential numbering, and multiples of four pages in spreads or signatures. I build in grids, colour swatches, paragraph stylesheets and typefaces.

I’m always trying to develop new ideas for layouts, infographics, and composition. I have my ‘go-to’ inspiration sources: London Underground, TfL, The Financial Times, The Guardian, and Conde Nast publications. In my opinion, those are the benchmark for beautiful layout design and typography.

Creating a brand that stands out from the competition is no easy task, but that’s where our experts come in.

From developing your brand strategy to crafting winning bids or delivering with your digital marketing, we blend creativity and strategic thinking to deliver results that make an impact.

We help businesses stay front of mind so that when decision-makers are ready, your brand is their go-to choice. After all, with 95% of your potential clients not in the market right now, the question is—when they are, will they think of you first?

If you’re curious about how this strategy works, check out our post on the 95:5 Rule in Marketing for how to position your brand for success when the time comes.