Pitch deck design

A common story order

1. 01

   Problem

   What is wrong or missing, for whom.

   Output: Why care

2. 02

   Solution

   What you do about it.

   Output: What it is

3. 03

   Market and customers

   Who buys and how many could.

   Output: Who for

4. 04

   Traction and model

   Evidence so far, how you make money.

   Output: Why now

5. 05

   Team and ask

   Who is doing it and what you need.

   Output: Next step

Headlines that state the point

Replace topic labels like 'Market' with headlines that say what the slide shows, such as 'Independent gyms spend heavily on admin software they dislike'. A reader who sees only the headlines should be able to follow the argument. The rest of the slide supports that one point with an image, a chart or a few words.

One idea per slide

Slides crowded with bullet points are hard to follow in a meeting and tiring to read alone. Give each slide one idea, and if you have more to say, add a slide. Use large text, plenty of space and a consistent position for headlines. Detail that some readers need, such as full financials, can go in an appendix.

Honest charts

Numbers in a deck are scrutinised. Label axes and units, start bar charts at zero, show the period covered and the source, and mark forecasts clearly as forecasts. A chart that exaggerates growth by cropping an axis can undermine the whole deck if a reader notices. Keep one message per chart and state it in the headline.

Presented and sent decks

Example: a deck for a food delivery start-up

Before sending

An editable master

Decks can change often as figures update and conversations move on. A master template in the presentation software you use, with set layouts for title, statement, chart, image and team slides, lets you add and edit slides without breaking the design. Locking brand elements keeps the deck consistent as different people edit it.

Accuracy and claims

Everything in a deck should be accurate and supportable: customer names only with permission, figures you can back up and forecasts clearly labelled. If you are raising investment, there may be rules on financial promotions; check with your adviser before circulating the deck widely.

Length

There is no fixed number of slides. A deck that tells the story clearly in as few slides as it needs, with detail in an appendix, respects the reader's time. Cut any slide that does not move the story on.

Images and product shots

A clear screenshot of your product, a photo of it in use or a simple diagram of how it works can explain more than a paragraph. Crop screenshots to the part that matters and remove real customer data. Use photos of your actual team rather than stock images on the team slide.

A readable PDF

When sent, the deck becomes a PDF. Export with real text rather than images, keep file size reasonable for email and check that slides read in the right order on a phone. Name the file clearly with your company name and date.