The new visual identity looks convincing in the presentation. The next day, someone needs a letter template, another person asks for slides and a third orders a door sign. Designing the logo turns out to be the beginning of the purchase, not the end.
When planning the budget, count the places where your organisation will use the identity. This helps the proposal cover working materials rather than only pictures of them.
Review everyday applications
Group them into documents, digital channels and physical materials. Gather current letters, presentations, forms, email signatures, signs and printed items. Record who makes each item and which software they use.
A slide template built in software staff do not use creates additional work. A letter template should handle realistic text lengths, tables and subsequent pages, rather than only a short example.
Distinguish three deliverables
A design shows how an item should look. A usable file lets staff fill it in or send it to production. Production creates the physical copies or installs the signs. Establish which of these you are buying.
For externally produced materials, specify dimensions, versions and how samples will be checked. Printing costs do not automatically follow from the graphic design price.
Choose the rollout sequence
Not everything has to change on the same day. Identify launch-critical materials, items that can change with the next order and archival resources that will retain the old appearance. Agree that sequence with the people responsible for communication.
Ask for prices for the initial package, additional templates and rollout support. During acceptance, have an employee use the files with real material. That shows whether the identity works outside the agency presentation and whether the supplied templates genuinely reduce everyday effort.
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