You've finished the content.
Now you need someone to make the presentation look professional.
A quick search for a presentation design agency brings up everything from individual freelancers and large design firms to subscription services and general creative agencies.
They all have impressive-looking portfolios.
So how do you actually choose?
The best presentation design partner isn't necessarily the agency with the flashiest website. It's the one that understands what your presentation needs to accomplish and can make your information easier for an audience to understand.
Here are the things worth looking at before you hire one.
Start with the work, not the sales pitch
A presentation design portfolio should tell you more than whether the agency can make attractive slides.
Look closely at the actual presentations.
Can you immediately understand what each slide is trying to communicate?
Is there a clear hierarchy between the headline, key information, and supporting details?
Do charts make the numbers easier to understand?
Can the designers handle both simple and information-heavy slides?
Beautiful slides are useful. Clear slides are better.
The strongest presentation design combines both.
Look for experience with the type of presentation you need
Presentation design covers a surprisingly broad range of work.
An investor pitch deck has different requirements from an internal strategy presentation. A sales deck isn't the same as a conference keynote. And a reusable PowerPoint template requires a different approach from a one-time presentation.
Before choosing an agency, consider what you're actually creating.
Common projects include:
- Pitch decks
- Sales presentations
- Corporate presentations
- Business proposals
- Marketing presentations
- Conference presentations
- Executive presentations
- PowerPoint templates
- Presentation redesigns
You don't necessarily need an agency that specializes exclusively in your industry.
But it helps if they understand the type of presentation you're trying to create.
Ask what they need from you
A good presentation design process shouldn't feel mysterious.
The designer will usually need your existing content, brand assets, deadline, and some context about the audience.
If you already have a rough PowerPoint, that's often enough to begin the conversation.
You might also provide:
- Brand guidelines
- Logo files
- Fonts
- Existing company presentations
- Visual references
- Charts or source data
- Images
- Notes about important slides
You shouldn't need to prepare a perfect creative brief before contacting a presentation designer.
Part of their job is understanding what you have and figuring out what is needed to move forward.
Find out whether they actually work in PowerPoint
This sounds obvious, but it's worth checking.
A presentation can look fantastic in a portfolio image and still be frustrating to use afterward.
If your team works in PowerPoint, ask whether the final presentation will be delivered as a properly editable PowerPoint file.
Can you change the text?
Can you update numbers?
Are charts editable where appropriate?
Can your team duplicate and reuse layouts?
These details become important the moment someone needs to update the deck after the project is finished.
Don't underestimate communication
Presentation projects often involve small but important decisions.
Which number should receive the most emphasis?
Does this diagram accurately represent the process?
Should this information stay on one slide or become two?
Is this image appropriate for the audience?
Those questions are much easier to resolve when communication is straightforward.
You want a presentation design partner who can understand feedback, ask useful questions, and explain decisions without turning every revision into a complicated process.
Responsiveness matters too, particularly when you're working toward a fixed meeting or presentation date.
Ask how revisions work
Almost every presentation project involves revisions.
You may notice something after seeing the designed version. A colleague may request a change. A number may need updating. Your legal team might alter some wording.
That's normal.
Before starting, understand how revisions are handled.
You don't necessarily need unlimited revisions, but the process and scope should be clear enough that you know what happens when changes are needed.
Consider your deadline realistically
Sometimes presentations genuinely are urgent.
A meeting gets moved forward. A client asks for something unexpectedly. An investor opportunity appears with very little notice.
Presentation designers are used to deadlines.
But when possible, giving the design team reasonable time usually produces a smoother process.
It allows time for the initial design direction, feedback, revisions, quality control, and final delivery without everyone working against the clock.
If your deadline is fixed, mention it immediately rather than after the project has started.
Should you choose based on price?
Price matters, but it shouldn't be the only comparison.
Suppose one designer costs less but requires extensive direction from your team, several rounds of corrections, and significant cleanup afterward.
Another costs more but understands the brief quickly and delivers something your team can actually use.
The cheaper quote isn't necessarily the cheaper project.
Think about the value of your own time as well.
The purpose of hiring a presentation design agency is partly to remove the design problem from your plate.
Pay attention to whether the style fits your business
Not every presentation needs dramatic graphics and elaborate animation.
Sometimes the right answer is a clean, understated deck with excellent typography and carefully designed charts.
Other presentations need much more visual energy.
A good presentation design agency should be able to adapt rather than forcing every client into the same recognizable style.
Your final deck should look like your company, not the designer's company.
What should happen after the project?
You should know what you're receiving before the work starts.
Depending on the project, that may include:
- An editable PowerPoint presentation
- A PDF version
- Custom slide layouts
- Editable charts
- Reusable slide components
- A presentation template
If your team will use the deck regularly, think beyond the immediate meeting.
A well-built presentation can continue providing value long after the initial project is finished.
Looking for a presentation design agency?
If you've reached the point where your content is ready but the presentation isn't, Sligge can help with the design.
We work with businesses, founders, agencies, and professionals on PowerPoint presentations, pitch decks, sales decks, presentation redesigns, and reusable templates.
You don't need to prepare everything perfectly before reaching out.
Send us the deck or content you currently have, tell us where you need to get to, and we'll help you figure out the next step.