Proposal Design

Bowmanville Expansion Proposal

Client

Metrolinx via Kiewit

Industry

Transit Infrastructure / Government Procurement

My Role

Lead Proposal Designer / Creative Lead

Location

Canada

The Project

This proposal for the expansion of GO Rail service from Oshawa to Bowmanville required full graphic support across a three-month production timeline.

The visual scope included proposal layouts, custom mapping, sequencing graphics, icon development, and formatted pages. The project also required a structured InDesign workflow that could support contributor access, revision cycles, and consistent design execution throughout production.

The final submission needed to communicate complex project geography, staging, sequencing, and evaluation priorities clearly within the constraints of a formal procurement process.

The Thinking

The most significant design decision was the mapping approach.

Project area maps in proposal design often rely on satellite imagery with graphic overlays. It is a familiar approach, but it has a clear limitation: satellite imagery contains a high level of visual noise, and that detail can compete with the proposal information placed on top of it.

I proposed replacing the satellite-based approach with fully illustrated maps. Using ArcGIS base data exported into Illustrator as the foundation, I rebuilt the visual layer from scratch, including only the information the proposal needed. This gave me full control over hierarchy, contrast, and visual weight.

The resulting maps communicated project phases, sequencing, station relationships, and spatial context more clearly than a conventional satellite approach would have allowed. They also created a more ownable visual system for the submission.

The icon suite was developed with a specific strategic purpose. Based on previous evaluator feedback and known marking priorities, the icons were designed to draw attention to the criteria and themes most relevant to the submission.

The production workflow supported that same goal of clarity. A structured InDesign system allowed the proposal to move through contributor input and revisions while maintaining consistency across layouts, graphics, and visual hierarchy.

What This Demonstrates

  • Creative leadership in replacing conventional proposal visuals with clearer, more purposeful communication tools
  • Custom illustrated mapping that improves clarity beyond satellite-based approaches
  • Strategic icon design aligned with evaluator priorities and marking criteria
  • Structured InDesign workflow supporting contributor access, revisions, and consistent design execution
  • Ability to manage technical complexity, proposal strategy, and production execution within a formal procurement process
  • Proposal design that balances clarity, compliance, collaboration, and visual impact

Note: Certain project passages have been temporarily replaced with placeholder copy (lorem ipsum) for confidentiality.