Smart Growth America (SGA) is seeking a graphic designer or design firm to support the design and layout of several upcoming national research reports.

SGA produces research and policy reports that help practitioners, advocates, and decision-makers understand how transportation, land use, and housing policies shape outcomes for communities across the country. We are looking for a designer to help translate complex research and case studies into clear, engaging, and visually compelling reports.

Project overview

Smart Growth America anticipates producing up to three reports over the next six months. Each report will be approximately 20–40 pages and will include a mix of narrative text, charts, maps, graphics, and photography.

Anticipated reports include:

• Foot Traffic Ahead: Report exploring the economic impacts of walkable development patterns.
• Congestion Con: Report examining long-term congestion trends and added lane capacity.
• Building for Health: Report focused on the intersection of housing, public health, and community design.

Reports will be released on a rolling basis. Smart Growth America will provide the completed draft text, data, and initial charts or figures.

Scope of work

The selected contractor will work with SGA staff to design and produce publication-ready reports.

This includes:

• Designing and laying out each report (approximately 30–40 pages each)
• Applying Smart Growth America’s branding and visual identity
• Creating a consistent template or visual system across reports
• Formatting text, headings, callouts, and key findings
• Designing or refining charts, graphs, and infographics
• Incorporating maps, photos, and other visual elements
• Ensuring strong visual hierarchy and readability
• Preparing final, publication-ready PDFs

Smart Growth America will provide draft text, data, and initial charts/figures to minimize design development time.

The designer will collaborate closely with SGA’s communications and research teams and incorporate feedback through multiple rounds of revisions. Smart Growth America anticipates up to 2–3 rounds of revisions per report.

Deliverables

For each report, the selected contractor will provide:

• A fully designed, publication-ready PDF
• Packaged design files (e.g., Adobe InDesign)
• High-resolution graphics and visual assets
• Web-ready graphics or figures, as requested
• Accessible PDF with alt text for images

Timeline

Each report is expected to follow a general timeline of:

• Draft provided by SGA
• Initial design concepts and layout within 2-3 weeks
• 2–3 rounds of revisions
• Final delivery within 4–6 weeks from draft

Qualifications

We are seeking designers or firms with:

• Experience designing research, policy, or data-driven reports
• Strong data visualization and infographic design skills
• Experience working with nonprofits, advocacy organizations, or research institutions
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop)

Experience with transportation, land use, housing, or related policy topics is preferred but not required.

Proposal requirements

Interested applicants should submit:

• A brief description of the firm or individual
• Relevant experience and examples of similar work
• Links to or samples of past report design projects
• A proposed approach to managing multiple reports over time
• A total bundled cost for all four reports
• Pricing for the first report (including template development) and subsequent reports
• Any assumptions about efficiencies or cost reductions across reports
• An hourly rate for additional work outside the agreed scope
• Availability and anticipated turnaround times

Budget

Smart Growth America intends to select a single designer or firm to support the production of four reports under one contract.

We anticipate a total budget in the range of $15,000–$25,000 for all three reports.

Proposals should reflect bundled pricing that accounts for efficiencies gained by developing a consistent design template and visual system across reports.

Submission instructions

Please submit proposals to: [email protected] with the subject line: “RFP: Smart Growth America report design”

Proposals must be received by June 30, 2026.

Selection criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Relevant experience and quality of past work
• Demonstrated ability to design clear, engaging research reports
• Understanding of the scope of work
• Ability to meet timelines
• Cost

About Smart Growth America

Smart Growth America helps create healthy, prosperous, and resilient places to live for all people through research, advocacy, and direct community support. Our work spans housing and land use, transportation, and economic development to find solutions to communities’ most pressing needs. We work with elected officials at all levels, real estate developers, chambers of commerce, transportation and urban planning professionals, and residents to improve everyday life for people across the country through better development.