How to prepare a pitch deck before hiring a designer

1. Decide the story

Before any design, write the story in a few sentences: the problem, who has it, how your solution works, why you will win and what you need. Investors see many decks, so clarity beats cleverness. Say what makes your approach different in plain language. If you cannot explain the business in two minutes, the deck will not fix that, but a good designer or writer can help you sharpen it.

2. Outline the slides

A common order includes: the problem, the solution, how it works, the market, the business model, traction or progress, competition, the team, the plan and the ask. You do not need every item, and you can adapt the order to your story. Write a headline for each slide that states the point, such as customers cut costs by a third, rather than a label such as results. Slides with a single clear point are easier to remember.

3. Gather honest numbers

Collect the figures that support your story: customers, revenue, growth, costs, market estimates and forecasts. Keep sources for any market data. Be realistic and consistent; numbers that do not add up or promise unrealistic growth damage trust. If you have a financial model, make sure the deck matches it. Mark anything that is an estimate so you can describe it honestly when asked.

4. Prepare the materials

Provide your logo, brand colors, fonts, product images, screenshots, team photos and any charts you want to include. If you lack materials, ask whether the designer will create icons, diagrams or mock-ups and whether that costs extra. Share any previous decks, even rough ones, so the designer sees your thinking and avoids repeating work.

5. Choose style references

Send two or three decks or presentations whose look you like, and say what you like about them: simple layouts, bold images, clear charts or a calm color palette. Say how formal the tone should be. Decide whether the deck will be read alone, which calls for more text, or presented live, which calls for fewer words and stronger visuals.

6. Agree the deliverables

Ask for the number of slides, the file formats, the revision rounds and the delivery date. Ask whether the designer will create a master template so you can add slides in the same style, and whether they will provide a short version for email and a longer one for meetings. Confirm who owns the files and fonts, and whether any stock images require licenses.

Questions to ask the designer

• Have you designed decks for companies at my stage or in my sector?
• Do you help with storytelling and slide text, or only design?
• How are charts and data handled, and can I edit them?
• How many revision rounds are included?
• Which file formats will I receive?
• How quickly can you deliver a first draft?

Budget and timing

Costs rise with slide count, custom graphics and whether writing is included. Be clear on what you need: a polished design of existing content, a complete rebuild or help shaping the story. Allow time for your own review, since you and your team will need to check every number before the deck goes out. If a meeting date is fixed, share it at the start.

Practice and follow-up

A good deck supports you; it does not replace you. Practice presenting it aloud and time yourself, then ask a few people to react honestly. Prepare a longer appendix with extra detail for questions, such as financial tables and product screenshots, so the main deck stays short. After meetings, note which slides prompted questions and ask the designer to tighten them. Keep every version dated so you always know what you sent to whom.

Common mistakes

• Cramming every detail onto each slide.
• Using unsupported claims about market size.
• Letting the design lead and the story follow.
• Sending the same deck to every audience without adjusting it.