Presentation Design Tips
7 minutes read
A quick list of helpful pitch presentation tips that will help you design a more effective pitch deck presentation.
These tips are actionable and simple enough to apply immediately. They will allow you to design a stronger pitch deck, impress your audience, and land that funding.
This post is part of a series called How to Make Great Pitch Decks (Startup Presentation Guide).
Introduction
When there’s a potential deal on the line, the pressure is on! In this tutorial, we cover ten impactful pitch presentation deck design tips. Discover how to create a better pitch deck design.
If you’re not a designer, it can be tough to create a compelling and beautiful presentation. It’s even harder when preparing a presentation for your startup, especially when you are pitching to investors or presenting in important business meetings.
The strategies below will help you craft your pitch deck and prepare it for any significant business presentation. Pitching is challenging, and the most powerful pitches are supported by well-designed pitch deck templates.
Key Elements of an Effective Pitch Deck
Create a concise narrative that tells your business story and is backed by well-crafted slides. Before we jump into these pitch deck slide design tips, consider starting with a professional PowerPoint template. You can find PPT templates on Envato Elements or trending PPT designs on the GraphicRiver marketplace.
Also, quickly download our eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations. It’s available for FREE with the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. Learn how to write, design, and deliver the perfect presentation.
The Best Sources for Pitch Deck Templates
The purpose of a good investor pitch deck is to:
- Bring your message across clearly, including only your critical points
- Provide necessary context so people have what they need to make a decision
- Conclude with next action steps, including your ask, after delivering your presentation
Serial entrepreneurs now have a design option for pitch decks that won’t cost them more with each company launch, thanks to Envato Elements. The flat-rate model means that each pitch deck is included with a single subscription.
Envato Elements is the perfect service if you want to experiment with many pitch designs. There are hundreds of templates perfectly suited for pitch decks and supporting assets like stock photos and graphics. Open a template, add your idea, and present with confidence.
We have high-quality presentation designs, with a ton of creative slide options—ready for you to download and customize.
10 Presentation & PowerPoint Design Tips to Make Better Pitch Decks in 2024
Investors may hear dozens of pitch deck presentations. That’s why you need to ensure that you present the best pitch deck.
1. One (Powerful) Photo Is a Thousand Words
Never underestimate the power of strong photography in your presentation designs.
Photography is a powerful tool to convey your message visually. Whether it’s emotional photos to deliver a more impactful message, beautiful product photography to demonstrate the value of your product, or striking visuals to enhance otherwise dull slides, photography is useful in many situations.
Aim to keep to a single photo for each point you make. It’s often enough supporting material for you to tell your story and get your message across. It’s wise to keep text to a minimum in your presentation. This ensures people are paying attention to you instead of getting distracted by overdone slide designs.
Photography can be used creatively, such as using brushes as a mask for photography in the Eureka presentation template, which gives the slides a unique vibe. Keep your message clear and enhance it with a dash of minimal creativity.
2. Use the Right Colors, Contrast, and White Space
Color
Understanding how to use colors effectively is crucial, as effective communication relies on it. Use your company’s style guide as a foundation for picking the right colors. If you don’t have one, websites like Adobe’s Color can help with ready-made color themes.
Contrast
Ensure that your text is legible by maintaining enough contrast between your slide background color and the text color. For text on photography, consider adding a black overlay with 60% transparency to enhance readability.
Using contrast can also grab attention. For example, black backgrounds with yellow text create strong contrasts that help focus attention when needed.
White Space
Don’t overcrowd your slides. Each element should have enough space to breathe, making your slides easier to digest. Overloaded slides come off as unprofessional and disorganized, confusing your audience.
3. Say No to Animations (Mostly)
The use of animations can slow your presentation and distract the audience. They might feel out of place in a professional pitching context. However, if you’re highlighting specific functionalities, subtle animations can be beneficial.
4. Prepare Effective Content and Typography
In any presentation, the content matters more than design. Prepare your content thoroughly before designing your deck. Use a sans-serif font for better readability on screens and ensure the font size is appropriate for your audience.
5. Be Clever (or Even Funny)
Aim to make your presentation memorable and engaging. Connecting with people emotionally can help them remember your message. Use humor when appropriate to create a positive atmosphere, or offer surprising insights to provide value.
6. You’ve Got 20 Minutes
Most pitch presentations have a time limit. Try to stick to 20-minute segments to keep your audience engaged while conveying your message concisely.
7. Apply the Rule of Three
People tend to remember information better when presented in groups of three. Whenever possible, summarize information in threes, which can improve retention and make your slides more impactful.
8. Convey a Single (Focused) Message
Stick to one core message in your presentation. This focus will help you convey your points more clearly. Use as little text as possible to maintain clarity.
9. Tell Engaging Stories
Create a flow in your presentation by transitioning smoothly between slides, telling a compelling story. Engaging storytelling can captivate your audience and make your presentation memorable.
10. End Remarkably
Conclude your presentation with a memorable ending. Consider surprising your audience with a powerful fact or statement that reinforces your message.
How to Quickly Customize Your Pitch Deck
Here’s a step-by-step guide showing how to customize your design pitch deck effectively.
1. Change the Font Color
Select the text you want to change, click the Font Color button in the toolbar, and choose your desired color.
2. Delete an Object
Select the object you want to remove and press Delete on your keyboard.
3. Change the Color of an Object
Select the object and use the Shape Fill button in your toolbar to choose a new color.
4. Add Text to a Slide
Click on the Insert tab and then the Text Box button to draw a new text box.
5. Add an Image to a Slide
You can insert images by choosing Insert Picture from the File button or using the Insert tab in your toolbar.
10 Great Pitch Deck Design Examples (You Can Use Today!)
Explore ten of my favorite pitch deck design examples included with your Envato Elements subscription:
- Pitch Werk - A top choice for launching a company.
- Nia Pitch Deck - Balances beautiful elements with readability.
- Latitud Business Pitch Deck - Over 70 slide designs for entrepreneurs.
- Fintech Startup Pitch Deck - Modern designs for the financial sector.
- Pitch Vol. 3 Pitch Deck Presentation - A popular choice with data charts.
- Vegapunk Pitch Deck - 60 total slides with a unique theme.
- Hippocan - A modern template with 50 unique slides.
- Cella PitchDeck Template - Over 120 customizable slides.
- Exynos - Minimal style suited for professional presentations.
- Adieux - 720 slides with three color schemes.
For more great templates and design ideas, check out our articles on Best of 2024: 20 New Startup Pitch Deck Templates , 30 Best PowerPoint Pitch Deck Templates , and 25+ Best Keynote Pitch Deck Templates .