What is a pitch deck — examples and templates to create yours today

A pitch deck is the perfect card to play when you’ve got a point to prove, and Adobe Express has the tips and template to create your own convincing presentation with ease.

Whether you’re pitching a new idea, sharing some tips with coworkers, or simply telling a story, a well-designed pitch deck will amp up your message in many ways.

Read on as we walk you through the different reasons to use a pitch deck, how it can benefit your delivery, and how to easily make one for free with templates from Adobe Express.

The art of a pitch deck

When you present something, you’re telling a story, and a pitch deck is the vehicle for that story. Whether a punchy business presentation or a summary of research findings, your speechifying won’t land if your deck is weak and lacks connections to your audience or to your own unique point of view. So that you don’t undermine your own presentation, consider the following content notes when creating your next great deck.

Understanding the purpose and structure of a pitch deck

Though the reasons for a pitch or presentation can vary widely, the core components tend to remain the same. The contents of a convincing and successful presentation are often comprised of these pitch deck slides:

Cover slide — The cover slide is essentially the title page of your deck, and typically includes the following:

• Company name and logo
• Tagline or brief description of your company

Introduction — The introduction of your deck outlines who you are and why you’re there to present in the first place.

• A brief overview of your company's mission or purpose
• The clearly stated unique value proposition you or your team/organization offers
• A concise description of your product or service

Problem statement — A problem statement lays out what situation needs attention, or what you intend to solve with your product or service.

• Identify a problem or need in the market or scenario. Clearly articulate the problem or pain point your product/service solves.
• Use statistics or anecdotes to illustrate the significance of the problem.

Solution — The solution is a clear statement of what your team, product, or service can do to remedy the problem previously stated.

• Present your solution and how it addresses the problem.
• Outline your plan, discuss strategies and tactics.

Opportunity and potential — The solution to the problem statement may have multiple areas that need attention, and here is where you can outline them to fully explain your worth as a company or team.

• Explain and highlight the opportunity and scale of potential the solution you're pitching.
• Explain why customers or clients should choose your solution.

Traction or milestones — This section exists to point out additional areas where your expertise or reputation contribute to the strength of your pitch.

• Highlight any significant achievements, milestones, or traction.
• Include metrics such as user growth, revenue, or key partnerships.

Team — Your team is essential, and so they need an introduction before your pitch is accepted.

• Introduce the team and key members.
• Highlight relevant expertise and experience.

Call to Action — Regardless of response, you’ll want to drive your audience towards a new action that is specifically incurred by your pitch.

• Clearly state what you want the audience to do next.
• Whether it's to invest, partner, or learn more, provide clear instructions.

The essential elements of a pitch deck

Certainly not all pitch decks were created equal, but you can keep your content sharp by paying attention to these key elements.

Font and typography — A cohesive look with impactful and consistent typography will drive your key points home.

Color and photography — A simple yet punchy color scheme will assist your audience in staying focused on your slide content.

Iconography and other visual elements — Avoid cluttering your deck by choosing your visual elements wisely and leaving enough space for each piece of crucial information to stand out.

Professional pitch deck examples

Take inspiration from the pros on Behance with these excellent examples of what a clear and well-designed pitch deck can look like.

• This forward-looking presentation by Deckdynamo Design showcases the skill inherent in blending the informative with the inspirational.
• Centralize your information with a gathered — but not too serious — approach via Alejandro E’s pitch deck for an agricultural platform
• Hafiz Abdurrazaq demonstrates how to update the classics with this strong example of a business presentation for Impresiv Health
• Wake up your audience with the vivid array of color and form displayed in this Squarespace TVC treatment pitch deck crafted by Pitch Treats.
• Prove that your love of the game informs your powers of persuasion with this dynamic CAA Basketball pitch deck by Joshua Rhodes.

Pitch deck templates from Adobe Express

Building a pitch deck that captivates and convinces your audiences with Adobe Express is easy — select a template, drop in your text and images, and play with endless design element to give your pitch deck presentation the perfect polish. Just duplicate your developed pitch deck slides to create consistency across your presentation and simplify your workflow.

With Adobe Express, it’s free and easy to save and share your designs with colleagues and collaborators, get approval, and showcase your presentation for all to enjoy.