How to Design a Branded Pitch Deck
For entrepreneurs chasing capital, a pitch deck is table stakes. For bootstrapping, the goal is muddled. For business owners and service providers, the purpose might feel non-existent.
In reality, a pitch deck is a blueprint of your business and brand ambitions. It gives narrative structure to your vision. When seeking capital, it is your first impression of potential investors and your handshake.
However, we believe simplicity shouldn’t sacrifice design and that having an on-brand and on-message pitch deck can be the difference between obsolescence and impact.
What to Include in Your Pitch Deck
A pitch deck isn’t an information dump—it’s a high-level overview of the most compelling points about your business, designed to be clear and simple. But simple doesn’t mean boring.
Let’s look at this from the perspective of bootstrappers, business owners, and service providers. Gone to the wayside are the supporting materials that sell value. In their place? Overwrought, over-designed, overwhelming website pages. From the perspective of entrepreneurs looking for funding, the stakes are even higher to sell your value.
From Y Combinator to every start-up incubator, the power of the pitch deck is paramount. When it comes to design, entrepreneurs are encouraged to keep it simple with a title, problem, solution, traction, market, competition, vision, team, and use of funds.
Your Brand Story
Every excellent pitch deck starts with a story. This isn’t just about your company’s journey; it’s about why your audience should care. Answer these key questions:
What problem are you solving? Frame the problem in a way that resonates deeply with your audience.
Why now? Show urgency—why this moment is the right time to act or invest.
What’s your vision? Paint a picture of the future that feels inevitable and exciting, with your solution at the center.
Pitching Your Value
Everything you do, from the strategies of your business to the financial projects to the font you choose on a PowerPoint, can guarantee one of two things: positive or negative perception.
If you have the strongest business plan, your value will still be analyzed from an aesthetic evaluative perspective; it’s just human nature.
Building an On Brand Pitch Deck
Your goal with being on brand and on message is to guarantee clarity and comprehension from first glance to later reference. A pitch deck cluttered with information is a lost opportunity to engage. On the other side, an overly simple pitch deck with a basic template tells a story that you don’t care about brand. With brand driving the bulk of consumer behavior, not showcasing brand would be a misstep and mistake in the process.
If the basics of what to include are a title, problem, solution, traction, market, competition, vision, team, and use of funds. You have nine slides to generate an emotional connection to captivate, convince, and convert.
Aesthetics drive emotional responses—from the colors you choose to the typography you include. Emotional resonance happens faster and more memorably with visuals that are unique and differentiated.
Design Basics for Every Pitch Deck
Brand Messaging
What you’re saying and how you’re saying it go hand-in-hand. Titles, subtitles, and body text should be distinctly differentiated, directing attention and emphasizing key points. Design elements to enhance—not overshadow—your message.
The goal of each slide should be to ensure focus and facilitate comprehension. You may have a lot you want to say but paring it down will guarantee that what you say is actually retained. Simple messages ensure each slide, when separated from the rest, is just as understandable on its own.
Brand Consistency
You can still showcase brand consistency even if you don’t have a fully fleshed-out brand identity. Use the same colors and fonts and sizing and spacing on every slide. With that, you’re already steps ahead of the rest.
Brand consistency is less about communicating a visual aesthetic and far more about communicating professionalism and attention to detail as a brand attribute — regardless of whether you’re using blue or red.
Brand Visuals
When you’re moving beyond your headline and ready to make an impact, you should be leveraging charts, graphs, and infographics to present data. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words or, in this case, worth three more slides. The goal is to avoid overly detailed information or distracting visuals. Instead, ensure your visuals pass the squint test.
The Squint Test
With any visual, you should be able to pull back from your screen, squint at it, and immediately be able to discern the key point and singular message.
Key Design Strategies
Adopt a minimalist approach with big headlines.
Use graphics that tell a single, core message.
Pared-down messaging guarantees memorability.
Consistency in fonts and colors communicates professionalism.
Don’t fear whitespace; use it to draw attention to the most critical points.
Design a Pitch Deck Worth Preserving
A successful pitch deck isn’t about how much you say—it’s about saying the right things well. When design and content live in harmony together on a single slide, it speaks volumes about the dedication, vision, and validity of your business and the team behind it. The essence of your pitch deck lies not just in the story it tells but in how memorably and effectively it's told.
It’s an artifact and a touchstone of your business that can be turned into a launchpad for sales decks, presentations, workshops, and much more.
