Your knees are weak, your palms are sweaty… no, we’re not about to go into an Eminem verse. We’re talking about business presentations – specifically, meetings with potential investors or clients. These are the interactions that could make or break your financial future. You may be familiar with putting together pitch decks, but you may not have realized there is help. Enter: the pitch deck designer.
Pitch deck designers (or presentation deck designers) are graphic designers with expertise in crafting stunning pitch decks for startups. They are accustomed to working with styles that are appropriate for critical business meetings. This means they know how to cut the fluff and make the key points of your presentation design shine. They know how to highlight data and use visuals to strengthen your company image.
Pitch deck designers help you tell your story.
A creative pitch deck designer knows how to tell a compelling visual story. Formal presentations have a reputation for being stuffy and boring, but this need not be the case. As long as you can articulate the main points, a designer can take that data and put it into a narrative format.
Depending on the slide, a pitch deck creator may include an illustration, a graph, columns of text, or whatever else makes sense given the content. The key is to immerse your audience in what interests them from the beginning to the end of the presentation. Both the big-picture vision and the practical details are artfully laid out.
How should a slide deck be designed?
There are many effective ways to tell a story with your data. A graphic designer can organize information in pie charts, bar charts, word clouds, timelines, roadmaps, or other visual representations. As you move from one slide to the next, data should be laid out carefully with only the most pivotal story points included.
Some of the best slide decks have:
- impressive company milestones
- simple branding that doesn’t overwhelm the viewer
- key figures simplified (don’t make your audience do math)
- graphic icons and tiles to help break up text
- stats that inspire confidence and show financial potential
- emotional appeal (why your company matters)
- contact information/next steps
How much does a pitch deck design cost?
Pitch deck design costs vary, and typically range anywhere from a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars for more in-demand designers. Freelancers will typically charge you a flat fee or an hourly fee ranging from just $10/hr all the way up to $200/hour.
At Penji, we offer unlimited designs for a flat monthly fee so you can get all the designs you need in one place – whether it’s for social posts, event flyers, packaging, merch, presentations, or anything else. We’re not just a pitch deck design agency – We’re an everything-your-business-needs design agency!
Pitch deck designers create seamless graphics
“Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.” – Paul Rand
A business-focused founder might assume that the last thing they need is a designer. After all, you’re not presenting your artistic skills to investors or potential clients. You’re presenting your business model, products, services, and overall plan. But when it comes to pitch deck services, it’s not about wacky illustrations or bold splashes of color. The point is not to detract from the topic. Instead, a masterful pitch deck designer showcases the critical points of your presentation in style.
The audience may barely notice the presentation design. Yet it’s the very vehicle that delivered the information so clearly and persuasively. Ironically, the design elements the viewer doesn’t notice are sometimes the most effective of all, and that’s ok. Again, the design is not the star of the show but the vehicle of communication.
See pitch deck design examples for inspiration.
How to go beyond standard practice with your pitch deck
Though your design doesn’t have to be dramatic, there’s nothing wrong with stepping outside the box. Veteran investors have likely seen hundreds of pitch decks in their lifetime. There’s no reason you have to do presentations the way they’ve always been done. A skilled pitch deck designer can help you get outside your comfort zone, especially if your presentations aren’t landing how you want them to.
Think about unique ways you can showcase your product or service. How can you instill confidence in your scalability? How can you demonstrate your unique value from a different angle?
You can also get inspiration from the beautiful pitch decks of famous brands that got funded. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you should second-guess your own decisions if they differ from what a famous founder did. Every situation is different, and what works for one company may not work the same for another.
Find a pitch deck design service that does it all for you
A successful presentation design includes many elements:
- the problem and solution
- promising market data
- sound financial modeling & projections
- how you have a leg up on the competition
- you/your team’s past accomplishments
- a clear, confident ask
- contact information
Whether you plan to use Powerpoint, Google Slides, or another presentation tool, a pitch deck designer can do the grunt work. A designer not only gives you a crisp slide deck but a relaxed, confident demeanor when pitch day arrives.
At the end of the day, your presentation isn’t the only thing pulling the strings. Investors will notice how you engage, your experience, your professionalism, and any follow-up communications you have together. Patience will help you stay optimistic. When your request for funding reaches the right people at the right time, you’ll get the support you need.
Looking for more pitch deck design tips?
Get unlimited designs for all your business needs
Working with Penji’s team of allstar graphic designers is the best way to take your slide decks from average to amazing. Tell us what you need and your design can be ready in as little as 24 hours. Learn more about our unlimited graphic design for startups.
