Ep 000: About Me

Want to know more about me and how I work as a presentation designer? This is the episode for you!

 

TRANSCRIPT:

Hi there and welcome to the Presentation Design Show. I’m your host, Adrienne Johnston.

 

On this, the inaugural episode, I’d like to take a few minutes to introduce myself and how I work as a presentation designer.

 

My background, while unconventional, I certainly consider an asset in presentation design. I graduated with a Bachelors in Chemistry from Georgia Tech in 2004. and then worked as a store manager and regional trainer for Starbucks licensed stores. These two experiences in particular were really foundational experiences for my career - and in how I think about presentation design projects and optimizing the client experience and outcome.

 

I found myself getting into design after working in several startups in the Atlanta-area in Marketing and Operational roles. In a lean startup environment, it’s not uncommon to wear multiple hats - and I frequently found myself drawn to design projects. I was coming home and learning Photoshop and video software - trying to fill the gaps in some of our content - and that’s when I really started to realize that I had a passion and a gift for design.

 

I didn’t act on that impulse until 2017, when I left my traditional job and struck out on my own, quickly honing in on presentation design as my area of focus.

 

What I love about it is the utilization of a ubiquitous tool like PowerPoint to create stunning content that clients can edit/update on their own, without having to have sophisticated or expensive design software like the Adobe suite.

 

My ultimate goal in all projects is to help my clients design a professional presentation to wow potential investors or clients. And by wow factor, I mean to visualize rather complex content in an easy-to-digest and professional manner. Design that brings the ideas, story and brand to life with illustrations, infographics, and layouts that reflect the brand identity.

 

If you have more interest in understanding how we might work together, let me share a little more about timelines and processes.

 

One of the biggest challenges I’ve found in presentation design is the frequency with which clients need rush delivery. I think many times clients try to use a template and realize with only a few days to spare they need a deck that’s more polished than what they may have been able to do on their own with a template.

 

Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your perspective!) I’m typically booked 7-10 business days out, but feel free to reach out if you ever need something more quickly. Project schedules shift frequently, occasionally leaving a gap in the schedule that a rush project can fill.

 

Most of my projects begin with a 20-minute strategy call to discuss your project goals, brand identity and timeline. This call is quick and rather informal, but it let’s me get to know you and ensure that I can help you meet your goals.

 

When providing your content, you are welcome to send it already on slides or in outline format. If you have a specific vision for a particular slide, feel free to include an inspirational graphic, photo of a doodle, or description of your vision to maximize efficiency and reduce turnaround time.

 

When sending your content, please feel free to send a high-resolution version of your logo in PNG, EPS or AI format, along with any style guides you may have for your brand. If you do not have a style guide, I can follow your website style to ensure consistency of your brand.

 

If you do not have a website or it does not currently reflect the direction you’d like to go, feel free to send over any other designs or examples you may have or like. Alternatively, I can propose a design that represents your brand, based on the information you provide.

 

Typically within 2-3 days of our kickoff call / or receiving all brand assets, I’ll send you a creative direction. That’s 2-3 designed slides to make sure I’m bringing your vision to life. By doing a small subset of slides first, I can make sure to get your feedback and incorporate it into the remainder of the deck. This is more efficient and enables me to complete the project more quickly and with fewer revisions after the first draft is complete.

 

A typical project may have 1-2 rounds of revisions to wrap it up, which usually only takes a day or two. All files are editable so that if you need to adjust text or add new pages, you can do that without being handcuffed to me.

 

From project start to end, a typical 20-25 slide project  takes about a week to complete. Certainly, that can be faster after we’ve worked a few projects together, or if you requested a faster turnaround in advance.

 

At the end of the project, I’ll send you an invoice that you can pay via credit card online. If we have discussed working together on other projects, I will send you an itemized monthly invoice that you can pay at one time - instead of worrying about a series of smaller project-based invoices.

 

For the most part, it’s just that simple. Of course, I’m happy to hop on a phone call to talk through the particulars of your situation and see if I may be able to assist you.

 

My husband, daughter and I just moved from Atlanta to Seattle, Washington in 2019, so I’m now rockin’ Pacific time. Like most west coasters, I start my day on the earlier side to better align with east coast schedules. I’m typically online from 7am-5pm, but try to start scheduling calls after 9am PT so I’ve got a couple of cups of coffee under my belt!

 

Feels free to reach out via the contact form on my website adriennejohnston.com or email me directly at aj @ adriennejohnston.com.

 

For more information, visit my website at adriennejohnston.com

 

For free presentation templates and resources, you can also visit my free PowerPoint template gallery at slidesgallery.com.