Most companies choosing a designer start with the portfolio and the price. Both matter, but neither tells you what working together will actually be like. That is why many companies discover problems only halfway through the project: the source files are missing, revisions drag on, and the finished presentation cannot be edited and does not work for the sales team.
Below you will find 10 questions worth asking an agency or designer before you sign the contract. For each one, I describe what kind of answer to look for. This makes it easier to compare several providers and choose the one you will genuinely enjoy working with.
Why ask questions before you choose a presentation designer?
A provider with business experience and a clear design process will answer specifically. One who works “by feel” will speak in generalities. That alone is often the best clue.
10 questions to ask a presentation designer before you sign
1. Can you show projects from my industry or of a similar scale?
The point is not that the designer has made exactly the same presentation as yours. The point is that they understand who you are writing for: the board, a client, an investor or the sales team. Ask for two or three projects and ask what the goal of each one was.
2. Which program will the presentation be built in, and will it be editable?
Most often it is PowerPoint or Google Slides. Agree on this at the start. Also ask whether you will receive the source files, graphics and photos, and whether the fonts used allow commercial use. A presentation that cannot be edited quickly becomes a problem.
3. Will I get a slide master, not just finished slides?
A slide master is a set of layouts from which your team builds new slides while keeping a consistent identity. Without it, every change ends in manual fixes, and that is not the point. You can read more about what to look for in our article on a presentation master in PowerPoint.
4. What does the process look like, and how many approval stages are there?
A good process has a few clear steps, for example: brief, structure, design of a few slides, revisions, the full presentation, final revisions. Ask when you will see the first result. The earlier, the fewer costly surprises at the end, and the calmer the process.
5. How many rounds of revisions does the quote include?
This is one of the most common sources of misunderstanding. Agree on the number of revision rounds and the rules for changes beyond the scope.
6. What do you need from me at the start?
The designer should say clearly what they need: logo, brand book, previous presentations, texts, photos. If they only ask about the deadline and the budget, there is a risk that the project will start without an understanding of its goal.
7. Who works on the content: shortening texts and shaping the story?
Some projects cover graphics only, others include organizing the content. Agree on this explicitly. A slide with three paragraphs of text will not become readable just because it looks good. That is why it is worth having the designer ask questions about the message.
8. Do you use AI, and how do you protect my data?
AI speeds up drafts, but it does not replace design. Ask what the provider uses it for and whether confidential materials end up in external tools. For investor and sales presentations, a non-disclosure agreement should be standard. You can read more about the role of AI in our article on how to use AI to create a company presentation.
9. What is the deadline, and what happens if the scope changes?
A deadline only makes sense if you know what it depends on. Ask when the countdown starts (after the brief? after the materials are delivered?) and how the provider handles additional slides. A clear answer means the provider has worked with such changes before, so you know what to expect.
10. What happens after the project is delivered?
A presentation lives on: new slides, language versions and updated figures appear. Ask whether the provider will help later and on what terms. It is also worth knowing whether you will receive a short guide to using the master for your team.
How do you compare offers from several presentation designers?
Send each provider the same short brief: the goal of the presentation, the audience, the number of slides and the deadline. Then compare the answers using the same criteria. Pay attention to the questions the provider asked you, to how clear the quote is, and to what exactly the offer includes.
A cheaper offer can turn out more expensive if it does not include revisions, source files or a slide master. What is more, a very short deadline with no questions about the content usually means the finished project will need many rounds of changes. In the end, what counts is the total cost of working together, not the price of the file alone.
Warning signs to watch for
Sometimes the conversation alone shows that the collaboration will be difficult. Watch for these signs:
- the provider does not want to show any projects or talk about their process,
- the quote says nothing about the number of revisions or the file formats,
- nobody asks about the purpose of the presentation or the audience,
- a promise of a finished presentation “by tomorrow” without any questions about the content.
If you notice two or more of them, look for another offer. You can also use our article on 10 mistakes in company presentations to judge what exactly is worth fixing at the brief stage.
How do you choose a presentation designer so that working together stays simple?
How do you choose a presentation designer in practice? The best choice is usually the one where you feel the provider understands your goal and does not simply follow instructions. Write down these 10 questions and ask them to everyone you are considering. You will then compare not just prices but ways of working, which makes the decision easier. That is what decides the outcome.
Looking for a company presentation designer?
We design company presentations, pitch decks and slide masters for teams that want to present their business consistently and professionally. If you would like to discuss your presentation, write to us. We will tell you what working together would look like in your case.
