{"id":131,"date":"2021-02-19T20:57:24","date_gmt":"2021-02-19T20:57:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/graduate-studies\/?p=131"},"modified":"2023-01-03T18:27:35","modified_gmt":"2023-01-03T18:27:35","slug":"designing-the-perfect-pitch-deck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/graduate-studies\/designing-the-perfect-pitch-deck\/","title":{"rendered":"Designing the Perfect Pitch Deck"},"content":{"rendered":"

Congratulations! You\u2019ve done it. You\u2019ve created the perfect solution\/product\/design that you are convinced will solve the world\u2019s most elusive problems. Now, you only have one step left: convincing everyone else. <\/span>That\u2019s where the pitch deck comes in.<\/span><\/p>\n

Generally speaking, a pitch deck<\/strong> is a series of slides designed to accompany your \u201cpitch\u201d in persuading an audience to buy into your idea.\u00a0 Given that you\u2019ve already spent a considerable amount of time working on your concept, you might not be interested in putting as much effort into the deck. After all, it\u2019s just a frame for your work, isn\u2019t it? The utter magnificence of your idea will speak for itself right? <\/span>Wrong.<\/strong> <\/span>Your deck isn\u2019t just a frame for your work, it IS your work. The lack of effort you make in crafting your deck could reflect poorly in the audience\u2019s opinion of both you AND your idea.\u00a0 Is your deck too long? Boring. Too short? Inconsequential. Too busy? Confusing. Too bland? Lame. <\/span><\/p>\n

Pitch decks can make or break your career. <\/strong><\/em><\/span>Unfortunately, even the most luminous minds can fail when it comes to conveying their brilliance to others. Take, for example, the duo of doctors who presented \u201cRolodoc,\u201d the social media for doctors, on <\/span>Shark Tank<\/span><\/a>. While the idea itself had merit, the two docs bombed their pitch so hard Mark Cuban actually got up to shake their hand!\u00a0<\/span>Thankfully, that doesn\u2019t have to happen to you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Students in Furman’s Master of Arts in Strategic Design<\/a> program use pitch decks during semesterly design critiques. Our design critiques are held in collaboration with the MAD School of Ideas<\/a> in Atlanta, GA and include a panel of some of the top designers in the world. Below, you’ll find the tips we give our students when preparing a deck for their presentation.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Tips for Creating the Perfect Pitch Deck<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

1) Know your audience<\/span><\/h4>\n

You created your product to meet the needs\/wants of an audience, so approach your presentation the same way.\u00a0 Knowing who you will be showing your deck to and what they are looking for will inform not only what you decide to include in your pitch deck, but how you present it.<\/span><\/p>\n

2) What\u2019s the \u201cBig Idea?\u201d<\/span><\/h4>\n

Every story has a vision. It is what gives your presentation meaning beyond the slides. It answers the question \u201cSo what?\u201d Whether you are presenting one project or several, don\u2019t divert from the main theme behind your work. The audience needs to see that you know what you are talking about.<\/span><\/p>\n

3) Write a Script<\/span><\/h4>\n

Writing helps you communicate your thoughts in a cohesive way. Knowing what you want to say, in turn helps you figure how how to present your thoughts visually. Remember that the slides don\u2019t have to tell the whole story, they are simply illustrating what you are saying. Practice and memorize the script.<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Choose a Unified Theme<\/span><\/h4>\n

Unify the visual theme of the presentation across all slides by <\/span>using a consistent style and format to help each slide tie into the next.\u00a0 <\/span>Remember that even though whitespace is often the designer\u2019s ally, it may turn against you when presenting on projector screens. Using too much white can be blinding in contrast with darker colors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5) Make Your Work the Star<\/span><\/h4>\n

Simplify, simplify, simplify. Keep the focus on your work by using neutral or complementary colors and design elements that let your work stand out. Minimize distractions from your message as much as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

6) Focus on Your Key Points<\/span><\/h4>\n

Stick to what matters and keep your points moving by making a statement, planting the seed, and moving on. Don\u2019t say or bring anything into the conversation which doesn\u2019t forward the point.\u00a0 You might be excited about the details of your work, but following rabbit trails is not helpful.<\/span><\/p>\n

7) Keep It Short and Sweet<\/span><\/h4>\n

Since you have a very limited amount of time to get everything across, only include what matters. Consider how this might impact what you need to include or toss out. If you have 35 images, consider cutting to 25<\/span> to keep <\/b>viewers from getting lost in the shuffle.<\/span> Only include what is impactful and leave the audience wanting more. Details can be shared later in the Q&A.<\/span><\/p>\n

8) Convey Information Effectively Through Visuals<\/span><\/h4>\n

Use relevant images, charts and infographics to illustrate your words instead of text. If you designed the visuals, don\u2019t forget to include copyright. <\/span>The deck is the audience\u2019s window into your brain. You\u2019ve already done the hard work for them, so don\u2019t overwhelm them with the details in large text blocks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

9) Tell an Engaging Story<\/span><\/h4>\n

Yes, you are trying to educate your audience with information about your product\/design, but the way you make it stick is to think like an entertainer. The slideshow itself is only half the battle, the other is how you demonstrate your presentation skills. Be professional and show that you can handle the pressure. Often, you are selling yourself along with the product. Embrace the \u201cWOW\u201d factor and be memorable. Never let it be said: \u201cThis could have been an email.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

10) Conclude Effectively<\/span><\/h4>\n

Make sure everything you say or present ties back to the big idea.\u00a0 If you opened up your presentation with a good question, resolve it with an excellent answer and drop the mic. (maybe not literally) Include a Q&A to satisfy the people who will be left wanting to know more.<\/span><\/p>\n

11) Review and Revise as Necessary<\/span><\/h4>\n

Make sure your sepllnig si corrcet\u2013 in your work, in your deck, or in your app. Time may pass in between your presentations, so be sure to <\/span>update your deck with the times. Don\u2019t present a deck that is outdated or ineffective<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Congratulations! You\u2019ve done it. You\u2019ve created the perfect solution\/product\/design that you are convinced will solve the world\u2019s most elusive problems. Now, you only have one step left: convincing everyone else. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":132,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,120],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-strategic-design","category-insight-sd"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/graduate-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/graduate-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/graduate-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/graduate-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/graduate-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/graduate-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/graduate-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/graduate-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/graduate-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/graduate-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}