How to Build a Brand Identity Deck [Presentation Guide]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- Feb 19
- 7 min read
Updated: Nov 4
When we were creating a brand identity deck for our client Lulia, she asked,
“How do we make sure the instructions are actually followed the way we intended?”
Our Creative Director smiled and said,
“You don’t enforce instructions; you create inspiration.”
As a presentation design agency, we see this all the time. The most thoughtful brand guidelines fall flat when they’re just a list of dos and don’ts.
So, in this blog, we’ll walk you through what to include in your brand identity presentation deck, how to design it, and the best ways to share or present it.
In case you didn't know, we specialize in only one thing: making presentations. We can help you by designing your slides and writing your content too.
What is the Brand Identity Presentation
A brand identity presentation is a visual document that explains and showcases how a brand looks, sounds, and feels. It includes the logo, colors, fonts, imagery, and tone of voice, along with short explanations for each. Its purpose is to help everyone understand what the brand stands for and how it should appear across different platforms and materials.
A good brand identity deck does three things very well:
It builds belief.
It helps your audience see the bigger picture, the idea behind the brand and why it matters.
It creates alignment.
It gets everyone, from decision-makers to designers, on the same page about what the brand stands for.
It sparks action.
It moves people to take the next step, whether that’s approving, investing in, or bringing the brand to life the right way.
What You Should Include in Your Brand Identity Presentation
Let’s be honest. A brand identity deck doesn’t need to be long or over-designed. Most great ones sit somewhere between 12 to 25 slides. Enough to tell a clear story, but not so much that you lose people halfway through.
The goal isn’t to show everything you did; it’s to make your audience believe in what you did. Each slide should move that belief forward: from “What is this?” to “This feels right.”
Here’s what your deck really needs:
1. The Context
Start with why the brand exists and what it stands for. Just a few slides that explain the purpose, the audience, and the challenge.
You’re setting the stage for everything that comes next. If this part doesn’t make sense, nothing else will.
2. The Core Idea
This is where you introduce the heartbeat of the brand — the main concept that ties everything together. Maybe it’s a belief, a story, or a creative direction.
Keep it short, but make it feel real. The best decks make people say, “That’s exactly what this brand should be.”
3. The Visual Language
Now bring the idea to life. Show the logo, the colors, the fonts, and the elements that make up the brand’s look and feel.
Don’t just drop visuals, guide your audience through them. Explain what inspired each choice and how it connects to the core idea. When you do that, people stop seeing “design” and start seeing “meaning.”
4. The Voice
Every strong brand has a tone. Include a few examples of how the brand sounds — a tagline, a headline, a short paragraph. It helps the audience hear the personality, not just see it.
Even two or three lines of copy can make the brand feel alive.
5. The Real World
Show how it all comes together. Mockups, social media visuals, packaging, a website header — anything that helps the audience imagine the brand out in the world.
This part turns approval into excitement. It’s where people stop thinking “nice design” and start thinking “let’s make this happen.”
That’s it. You don’t need to overcomplicate it with layers of process or ten versions of every logo.
How Should You Design When the Brand Identity Deck is Already Creative
This is where most people go overboard. When the brand identity itself is rich with visuals, color, and energy, the deck design often turns into a competition. Suddenly, every slide is animated, textured, and full of gradients. It looks impressive until your audience forgets what they were supposed to focus on.
When the work is already creative, your job is to simplify the frame. The deck isn’t the hero; the brand is.
Here’s how we usually handle it:
1. Start Neutral
Treat your deck like a gallery wall. The artwork pops because the wall doesn’t compete. Use neutral backgrounds like light gray, off-white, or soft beige.
For example, when we designed a deck for a streetwear label full of bold typography, we used plain white slides with thin black lines as dividers. The work immediately looked sharper, not busier.
2. Give Each Idea Breathing Room
Don’t cram six mock-ups into one slide. Give a single visual its moment. One of our favorite decks had an entire slide showing just the logo embossed on leather. Nothing else. It made the audience stop and feel the texture. That pause is powerful because it makes people pay attention.
3. Guide, Don’t Over-explain
If you have a slide showing a new color palette, don’t add five paragraphs of reasoning. A short line like “The palette draws from the brand’s coastal roots, with sun-warmed tones and deep blues” is enough. It’s confident and it lets the visuals do the talking.
4. Match the Deck’s Mood to the Brand’s Voice
The deck should feel like the brand’s personality, not your own. When we presented a calm, nature-inspired skincare identity, the slides were slow-paced, with minimal text, wide margins, and soft fades.
For example, for a fast-paced tech startup, we used tighter layouts and quick visual transitions to match their energy. Same format, different rhythm.
The more creative the identity, the simpler your deck needs to be. Think of it like great direction in a movie. You only notice it when it’s missing.
Presenting & Sharing the Brand Identity Deck
Whether you’re walking people through the brand identity deck or simply sharing it for them to explore, how you share it shapes how they understand your brand.
If you’re sharing the deck, don’t just drop the file and move on.
Add a short note that sets the mood and context.
For example, write, “This deck captures the essence of our brand — how it looks, feels, and speaks across every touchpoint.” That small message helps people see it as something meaningful, not just another document.
When you’re presenting the deck, guide your audience through the story behind the work.
Begin with why the brand exists before showing how it looks.
Instead of saying, “Here’s the logo,” frame it as, “This is the visual symbol of what our brand stands for.” That shift in language turns a design reveal into a story moment.
Keep the rhythm calm and clear.
Pause between sections, especially when showing the visual identity system or applications. Let people take in what they’re seeing. If the brand is expressive, keep your words simple. If it’s minimal, use language that highlights intent and precision.
Close by reminding them what the deck represents
A foundation to build on, not a final product. End with a line like, “This is how we want the world to experience our brand.”
Whether you present or share, your job is to help people connect with the purpose behind the design, not just admire the design itself.
FAQ: Should I change the contents based on audience?
Yes, you should. A brand identity deck usually speaks to two very different audiences, and each needs something unique from it. One uses it as a guide, the other as proof of value.
1. When the Audience Uses It for Guidance and Inspiration
This version of the deck lives beyond the pitch. It is meant for the people who use it every day, such as designers, marketers, writers, or anyone bringing the brand to life.
Include clear examples of how the brand looks and sounds in action.
Add short rationales that explain why things matter, not just what to do.
Keep the tone motivational rather than instructional so it feels like a creative compass, not a rulebook.
Use inspiring visuals, snippets of brand language, and sample layouts that spark ideas.
The goal here is to make people want to follow the brand, not just remember its rules.
2. When the Audience Is External (Clients, Investors, or Decision-Makers)
This version is about persuasion and clarity. It is the version you use when you are presenting the identity for approval or investment.
Focus on the story and outcome rather than the process.
Show polished visuals and real-world mockups that highlight the brand’s potential.
Frame design choices as business choices that build trust, recognition, or differentiation.
Keep the pace tight and the message confident.
Both decks share the same DNA, but they serve different moments. One guides creation, the other earns belief.
FAQ: What File Format Should I Maintain the Brand Identity Deck In?
We usually recommend sharing the deck as a PDF. It keeps layouts consistent across devices and prevents design shifts that often happen with editable files. But when it comes to presenting, keep an editable version in PowerPoint. Yes, PowerPoint (you’ll thank us later). It’s reliable, works almost everywhere, and gives you more control during live presentations. Think of the PDF as your polished version and the PowerPoint file as your working one.
Why Hire Us to Build your Presentation?
If you're reading this, you're probably working on a presentation right now. You could do it all yourself. But the reality is - that’s not going to give you the high-impact presentation you need. It’s a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error. And at the end of the day, you’ll be left with a presentation that’s “good enough,” not one that gets results. On the other hand, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of presentations, mastering both storytelling and design. Let us handle this for you, so you can focus on what you do best.
How To Get Started?
If you want to hire us for your presentation design project, the process is extremely easy.
Just click on the "Start a Project" button on our website, calculate the price, make payment, and we'll take it from there.
We look forward to working with you!