How to choose a Presentation Design Agency

Key Takeaways

• Choose a specialized presentation design agency: Unlike general communication agencies, specialized agencies have the expertise to manage the specific needs of presentation projects.

• Importance of strategic communication: A visually appealing presentation is not enough. It must also have a clear, impactful message to effectively engage the audience.

• Avoid generic creative agencies: They may treat presentations like any other design project, potentially neglecting the critical business content.

• Business language proficiency: Having a partner who understands business content is crucial to evaluate the completeness and relevance of the presentation.

• Expertise in PowerPoint: Ensure the agency excels in using PowerPoint, as many designers dislike and avoid working with this tool.

Today, those looking for professional support for their presentations often come across communication agencies or creative studios that offer slide creation as a secondary part of their service package.

The problem? These companies, while competent in other areas, do not always have the necessary specialization to handle the details and specific needs of a presentation project.

As a result, there is a risk of obtaining an aesthetically pleasing outcome but lacking a true communication strategy.

The most common consequence is a presentation that fails to address the main problems of those who commission it: lack of clarity, weak impact on the audience, and a message that does not emerge with the right strength.

When slides don’t work, ideas lose value, and the audience struggles to understand why they should pay attention. In an increasingly competitive market, any hesitation or uncertainty caused by a weak presentation can result in missed opportunities.

As the founder of an innovative presentation agency, I asked myself this question a long time ago, realizing that Lean Presentation Design addressed a market need that was still unmet and not covered by traditional communication agencies.

Here is a set of practical tips and a structured framework to organize your scouting phase.

Look for an agency specialized in presentation design 

Presentation design is a very specific service, quite different from what a generalist communication agency can offer. 

Presentations require a mix of skills ranging from understanding business content to the graphical execution of slides. 

If you rely on a creative agency alone, you risk having your presentation treated like a book to be typeset, without a critical reading of the content. 

However, having a counterpart who speaks your language (business) is essential to help you assess the completeness or possible lack of content. 

Does it make sense to add or remove a chart? Is the chart you are using in the right format? Do the opening and closing strategies work well in relation to the meeting context in which you will be presenting? 

These are some examples of questions that a business-oriented interface in a presentation design agency might ask you — questions that no designer, graphic artist, or creative professional would raise if you approach a generic creative or communication agency.

Make sure they are PowerPoint PROs 

It sounds absurd, I know, but designers hate working in PowerPoint so much that they don’t even know how to use it. 

If you turn to a creative agency, you’ll learn this the hard way when they deliver a PDF file, the result of a layout process done in InDesign or Illustrator. 

The problem? 

You won’t be able to modify it, and you’ll have to rely on the agency even for a simple comma change! 

Always make sure from the start that the presentation design agency you choose can develop the entire project in PowerPoint and that PPTX is the file format they will deliver. 

This way, you will own the design assets and can adapt the file for any future occasion, maximizing the project’s value beyond the specific event. 

At MLC presentation design agency, we are passionate about PowerPoint—to the point of being the inventors of the first PowerPoint add-in awarded by Gartner in 2024 for best usability, standing out globally for its number and quality of reviews.

Some agencies develop their own add-ins for PowerPoint—in those cases, I can confidently say that you’re in safe hands, at least when it comes to PowerPoint expertise!

Beyond graphics, an effective presentation requires a strategic communication approach 

Beautiful graphics without a solid narrative are useless! 

For the narrative to work, it is essential to analyze and fully understand the context: who is your audience, what are your objectives, and what objections need to be overcome for your presentation to be successful? 

Without a presentation assessment process, it is impossible to create an effective presentation. 

At MLC Presentation Design Agency, we use the Lean Presentation Strategy Canvas, a proprietary strategic framework that guides both our team and the client toward the most relevant strategic questions right from the briefing stage.

The first phase requires a complete assessment of the reference context (audience, objectives, objections), and only afterward can a tailored storytelling structure be developed. 

You can find a comprehensive explanation of our methodology in the complete guide to creating an effective presentation by watching a full video tutorial on our approach.

If you’re curious, you can download the Lean Presentation Strategy Canvas for free and try it out on your own.

A complete team from business strategists to presentation designers 

Who welcomes you to the first meeting? Is it a salesperson or the person who will manage the project? Will it be a strategist or a graphic designer? 

The initial listening phase will determine the success of the project. 

To cover this wide range of skills, a presentation design agency should have a diverse team with both business and design profiles. 

The magic of a presentation design agency lies in its ability to orchestrate the delicate interaction between these two worlds, which are so far apart. 

How can you assess the quality of the agency? Simple—just check who is assigned to your initial meeting. If it’s a graphic designer, move on, but if it’s a strategist or a business expert, it means you’ll be speaking with someone who speaks your language and understands your needs.

At MLC, our Business Strategy Team is the single point of reference for all our clients, serving as the only continuous contact throughout the entire project and any future collaboration with us.

Project managers who respect the agreed deadline 

In the business world, project management is a well-established discipline that we are all aware of, but in the creative world, everything tends to be more fluid. An imprecise and unstructured approach to managing the presentation creation process can put your project at risk. 

What happens if the presentation isn’t ready by the agreed deadline? 

The development of a presentation project requires careful planning of each step. 

There will be moments when the agency will need your support. In certain circumstances, timely and detailed feedback can significantly accelerate the presentation development process. 

However, your involvement should only be required when necessary. The agency must clarify from the beginning what it expects from you and when, so that you can prepare adequately and provide the best possible feedback. 

At MLC Presentation Design Consulting, for example, we have a dedicated team that, in addition to acting as your single point of contact, creates and shares a project roadmap, clearly defining when your input is needed and what specific contributions are required at each stage. 

We use a lean approach to project management, meaning we involve the client at key approval moments, dividing the project into approval gates. This allows us to work in an agile manner and minimize wasted time.

Make sure the agency is truly capable of managing your project in a structured way.

Super-fast turnaround! 

Often, when you reach out to a presentation design agency, there’s very little time left before your presentation deadline. 

Traditional creative and communication agencies have slow onboarding processes and prioritize a creative approach over structured project management. 

As a result, they won’t be able to help you in an urgent situation. 

A presentation design agency is specifically built to handle urgencies. It has a team of business strategists dedicated to project management who simultaneously onboard you as a new client, capture your needs, and have the expertise to communicate them to the internal design team—ensuring a truly fast turnaround.

Be wary of agencies that take on your project only to outsource it to external freelancers. They would be too slow in both project initiation and feedback rounds, and they wouldn’t be able to guarantee quality or project continuity. Rely on a presentation design agency that has all the necessary in-house resources readily available.

Agency vs. Freelancer

If you need a flawless presentation project with a tight deadline, a presentation design agency is the ideal solution. The flexibility and speed of these agencies make them essential partners for those who require a high-quality final product in a short time.

This ability to respond quickly is possible thanks to the internal structure of the agencies themselves.

A freelancer has to cover all tasks and act as their own entrepreneur. When you contact them, they might be working on another project and unable to respond immediately. Even if they do, they will have to divide their time and attention between your project and others.

Agencies, on the other hand, with dedicated teams for project management, strategy, and design, ensure that your vision is perfectly translated into the final slides—without delays.

The key to a presentation design agency’s success lies in balancing creativity with organizational discipline. While designers focus on the visual aspect and aesthetic impact of presentations, project managers ensure that every detail is meticulously handled, deadlines are met, and communication with you, the client, remains constant.

So when you choose to work with a presentation design agency, you are opting for a partner who beautifies your slides, and designs a complete and engaging experience for your audience.

Designing the experience, not just beautifying slides

So, does the presentation design agency you’re speaking with design the experience, or just beautify the slides?

When choosing to work with a presentation design agency, it’s crucial to find a partner that goes beyond creating aesthetically pleasing graphics.

The agency must craft a powerful user experience (UX) that resonates with your audience. A well-designed and engaging experience captures attention and effectively conveys the message.

It’s not just about beautifying slides but about designing an experience that is meaningful and unforgettable for your audience. 

At MLC Presentation Design Agency, we use Neuro Presentation Design, a scientific approach that bases graphic choices on cognitive principles that enhance human learning.

Every agency has its own style—what are you looking for? 

Yes, we left the graphic and stylistic aspect for last. 

But don’t get me wrong—I didn’t do it because I think it’s less important. On the contrary, I care about it a lot! 

However, graphic design often takes precedence over communication strategy, which is why I like to structure the process in clear phases. 

That said, it’s clear that every presentation design agency stands out for its unique style.  For example, at MLC Presentation Design Consulting, we work with Lean Presentation Design techniques.

We believe that a presentation should be essential and elegant, containing only the elements that genuinely add value to communication for the final audience.

Everything else, for us, is noise in communication and a waste of time for those creating it.

If you like a minimal style, we might be the right choice for you. But if you’re looking for something different, you might prefer an agency with a less minimal approach and a stronger focus on animations.

Proven industry experience: analyze clients and success stories 

One key factor that sets one agency apart from another is its ability to have successfully completed projects in a field similar to yours. 

Simply put, if you work for a multinational company, don’t choose an agency that has only worked with freelancers and small businesses, and vice versa. 

Recently, I received a request to create a pitch presentation for a small startup. Since our team is structured to serve large corporations, I suggested that the client turn to a freelancer instead—someone who could provide the necessary attention within a more limited budget.

At MLC Presentation Design Agency, for example, we specialize in serving large corporations and multinational companies, as you can see from our collection of customer success stories.

Haier Visual
Narrative

Prysmian Strategic Presentation

Casa Ferrero Branding Guidelines

Look for a fresh and innovative methodology 

To communicate effectively, you need to capture your audience’s attention with a fresh, modern style that aligns with current trends and truly engages people. 

Many presentation design agencies simply apply traditional graphic techniques, producing the same standard presentations, but few truly innovate in the field. 

MLC Presentation Design Agency was born from a disruptive innovation in the presentation industry. It stands out for adopting proprietary and innovative methodologies, which I have personally written and published, such as Lean Presentation Design—a methodology now taught in various universities and top-tier business schools.

Relying on an agency that truly innovates rather than just operating in the industry is a guarantee of success that makes a real difference compared to the average.

Make sure they master artificial intelligence 

The importance of working with an agency that knows how to use AI tools effectively cannot be underestimated.

An agency that masters these tools will not only be able to protect client data but also ensure greater creativity and efficiency in the design process. 

At MLC Presentation Design Agency, we use Microsoft Copilot to operate with maximum security, ensuring that our clients’ data is always protected. 

Responsible use of artificial intelligence is essential, as it allows us to respond quickly to project urgencies without compromising work quality. 

An agency that correctly utilizes AI will be able to offer innovative and tailored solutions, enhancing the client experience and delivering excellent results in shorter timeframes. 

How can you be sure? We, for example, teach it! 

Check out our complete course on how to create effective presentations with Microsoft Copilot. 

Look for Trust-Based Relationships vs. “Fast-Food” Quotes

In the world of presentation design agencies, some offer almost instant online quotes, sometimes even through automated chatbots. Their goal is often to close the deal as quickly as possible, but this comes at the expense of truly understanding the client’s needs. In these cases, the presentation risks being little more than a “pre-packaged” product, failing to reflect the unique aspects of each project.

On the other hand, some agencies take a more personalized approach: they dedicate time to meeting the client, ask targeted questions, listen carefully, and foster a constructive dialogue. The goal is to deeply understand the context, business objectives, and target audience. This type of collaboration is built for the long term, where the presentation is not just a “task to be completed” but becomes an integral part of a broader strategy.

Ultimately, the real difference lies in the agency’s willingness to connect with the person presenting the slides—understanding how they will be used, who the audience is, and what the intended outcome is. Agencies that prioritize this kind of engagement, investing time and resources to thoroughly understand the project, deliver stronger results and, most importantly, presentations that remain effective long after delivery.

A Framework for Choosing the Right Presentation Design Agency

The scouting phase may take some time, and you’ll likely need to compare multiple agencies.

To make the process easier, we’ve created a selection framework that allows you to compare different agencies based on the key criteria outlined in this article.

It’s very simple! Just write the names of the agencies you’re considering or paste their website directly into the name column.

Then, check off the variables that you believe each agency meets, and the framework will automatically calculate the score for you.

You could also upload the framework to any large language model and let artificial intelligence generate an initial selection of results for you. However, always make sure to carefully review the results before reaching out to different agencies. Trusting is good, but not blindly trusting AI is always better!

Conclusions 

In conclusion, choosing the right presentation design agency is crucial for the success of your presentation. 

It is important to select a team that specializes in presentation design and has proven experience in your industry. 

The quality of work, attention to detail, and ability to meet deadlines are fundamental elements to consider. 

MLC Presentation Design Consulting stands out for its minimalist approach, aimed at creating essential and elegant presentations that focus exclusively on elements that add value to communication. 

If your company is a large corporation or a multinational, MLC Presentation Design Agency could be a great choice, thanks to its extensive experience in serving high-profile clients. 

However, if you have different needs, it may be advisable to look for an agency or freelancer who can provide a more personalized service tailored to the specific requirements of your project. 

Remember, a well-crafted presentation can make a difference in capturing your audience’s attention and leaving a lasting impression. Trust professionals who can guide you toward success.

FAQs

Why should I hire a presentation design agency?

Hiring a specialized agency ensures that your presentation is professional, visually engaging, and effectively communicates your message. An experienced team knows how to combine content and design to maximize impact on your audience.

What are the advantages of choosing a presentation design agency over a freelancer?

Presentation design agencies typically offer a team of experts with diverse skills, better adherence to deadlines, and proven experience with high-profile clients. However, a freelancer may provide a more personalized service and, in some cases, a more cost-effective solution.

What should I look for in a good presentation design agency?

Check their experience in your industry, the quality of previous work, attention to detail, and ability to meet deadlines. It’s important to choose an agency whose approach aligns with your needs, such as MLC Presentation Design Consulting, which specializes in a minimalist and elegant style.

How much does it cost to hire a presentation design agency?

The cost can vary significantly depending on the complexity of the project, the agency selected, and the duration of the collaboration. Requesting detailed quotes from multiple agencies can help compare pricing and services offered.

How long does it take to create a professional presentation?

The timeframe depends on the complexity of the presentation and the availability of resources. On average, it can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks. It’s essential to discuss timelines with the agency to ensure they can meet your deadlines.

Is MLC Presentation Design Consulting suitable for companies of all sizes?

MLC Presentation Design Consulting is particularly well-suited for large corporations and multinationals, given its extensive experience with high-profile clients. For different needs, it may be more appropriate to consider an agency or freelancer that offers a more personalized service.

How can I ensure my presentation is effective?

Close collaboration with the agency, providing clear and detailed feedback, and ensuring a well-structured and coherent message are key factors. A well-designed presentation captures the audience’s attention and leaves a lasting impression.

What additional services can presentation design agencies offer?

Beyond presentation creation, many agencies provide consulting, training on effective presentation delivery, custom template design, and technical support for events or conferences.

Some illustrations were taken from Freepik and modified by MLC Design Team