An internal pitch is a short presentation to the people who decide on budget and priorities inside a company. To pitch a design idea, give them three answers: the problem today, what changes, and how it works in the business.
In a large company, a good idea is not enough. Many good ideas ask for the same budget. The people who decide have little time and they are often not designers.
Part of my work at Vodafone is innovation. I prepare the presentations and the showreel videos that explain an idea inside the company when a team asks for budget. I think this is design work, in the same way as a flow or a prototype. This article explains how I prepare a pitch.
The people who decide and what they need
The first step is to know who decides. A director of product, a finance lead and a head of technology listen for different things.
| Who decides | What they listen for |
|---|---|
| Product | The customer problem, and how the idea fits the plan |
| Finance | What it costs, what it returns and when |
| Technology | What must be built, and which other work it needs |
All of them need three answers:
- What is the problem today? For the customer and for the business.
- What changes? The idea, in plain words.
- How does it work in the business? What it needs, who runs it and what the company gains.
Many design presentations spend most of their time on the second answer. In my experience the third answer decides the budget.
The story before the slides
I write the story before I open a presentation tool. It has one customer, one problem and one change.
I describe the situation of that customer today, with the evidence we have. Then I show the same situation with the new idea. Then I explain what the company needs to do to make it real.
The story must be short enough to say aloud in two minutes. If I cannot do that, I do not know the idea well enough yet. The preparation follows the method I describe in product strategy for designers: research first, then one clear direction.
Why I use a showreel video
A showreel video shows the future product in use. It is short. It follows one customer through one task, with designed screens and motion.
It works for three reasons:
- People see the idea. A director does not need to imagine the product from a description.
- Everyone sees the same thing. A document produces a different picture in every head.
- It travels. People share a video with colleagues who were not in the room. The idea keeps its shape.
A video also has a risk. It can look finished when the idea is still open. So I say clearly what is decided and what is a proposal.
The structure of the presentation
I use five parts, in this order.
- The decision we ask for On the first slide. People listen better when they know what they must decide.
- The problem today With one piece of evidence that people remember.
- The idea Shown in the video, with one customer and one task.
- How it works in the business Teams, steps and dependencies.
- The next step and its cost A small, clear request is easier to approve than a large, vague one.
I put the details in an appendix. People ask for them when they need them.
After the pitch
A pitch does not end with the meeting. I send a short summary on the same day, with the decision, the open questions and the video.
When the answer is no, I ask what evidence would change it. That answer becomes the plan for the next version.
What designers gain from pitching
A designer who can explain an idea to the people with the budget has more influence on the product. Storytelling is how design work reaches the people who decide.
Start small. Take your current project and write its story for one person outside your team. Read it to that person and ask what they understood.
Infographic
A design pitch deck in five parts. 1. The decision you need: On the first slide. Then people know what the meeting is for. 2. The problem today: With one piece of evidence that people remember. 3. The idea: Shown in a short showreel video. 4. How it works in the business: With the number that the idea should change. 5. The next step and its cost: One small request that is easy to approve. Give the next step a cost, an end date, an owner and one measure of success.
Questions and answers
What is an internal pitch?
It is a presentation inside a company to the people who decide on budget and priorities. Its goal is a decision. Fund the idea, test it or stop it.
What is a showreel video in product design?
It is a short video that shows a product idea in use, before the product exists. It uses designed screens, motion and a simple story about one customer.
How long should a design pitch be?
Shorter than the meeting, with time for questions. If the main point does not fit in the first two minutes, the story is not ready.