The Ultimate Assets Hack: Design Assets Every Startup Needs

What's good y'all! John D. Saunders here, you know the vibes! 👋🏾

I'm excited to share some valuable insights on the visual assets your startup needs to excel. Over the years, we’ve worked with hundreds of startups across various sectors – from SaaS to agencies to individual entrepreneurs. These are the core assets every startup needs to raise funds, succeed in Series A/B rounds, or even family rounds. Whether you’re a startup founder or an agency like ours, these assets will set you apart and position you as a thought leader in the space.

Pitch Deck

First up, let’s talk about pitch decks. A pitch deck is crucial for the growth of your startup, especially when pitching to potential investors, whether it's through Zoom or in person. Here’s what you need in an 8 to 12-slide cohesive deck:

• Title Slide: Company name and logo.
• Problem Slide: Clearly describe the issue your company addresses.
• Solution Slide: Explain how your product or service solves this problem.
• Market Opportunity: Detail the size and characteristics of your target market.
• Product/Service Slide: Specific details about your product or service.
• Marketing and Sales Slide: Your strategy for reaching and engaging your audience.
• Competition Slide: Identify competitors and your unique selling proposition.
• Financials: Basic financial projections.
• Investment and Use of Funds: How you will use the investment to grow.

Having a well-structured pitch deck helps communicate what your startup does, making it a valuable tool for your business.

Branding

Next up is branding. Here’s a quick rundown of the essential elements:

• Logo: The visual cornerstone of your brand.
• Typography: Font choices that reflect your brand’s personality.
• Color Palette: Consistent colors that represent your brand.
• Iconography: Custom icons that enhance your visual identity.

Websites like UI8 offer fantastic icon packs that are hand-drawn and cater to various niches, including SaaS and other product types. These branding elements ensure your startup has a cohesive and professional look, helping you stand out in a crowded market.

Social Media Templates

Every startup needs a set of social media templates for different platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. These templates typically include:

• Images with Text Overlays: Engaging visuals with your brand messaging.
• Infographics: Visual representations of data or concepts.

Having these templates ready helps bridge the gap between your brand’s visual identity and your social media presence. They ensure consistency across platforms, making your content easily recognizable and professional.

Photography Style Guide

A photography style guide is another essential asset. Websites like Pexels and Unsplash offer beautiful, free imagery. Here’s how to create a style guide:

• Select Images: Choose images that reflect your brand’s target audience – whether it’s older, younger, millennials, or Gen Z.
• Add Style: Incorporate your brand’s colors or a specific visual style to these images. For example, add a blue tint if blue is a primary brand color.

This repository of images can be used in pitch decks, marketing materials, or your website, ensuring a consistent visual style across all your content.

Brand Guideline Document

Lastly, a brand guideline document ties everything together. There are two ways to create this:

1. Bento Box Approach: A one-page brand guideline for smaller budgets.
2. Comprehensive Guide: A 30-40 page document with detailed guidelines on logo usage, color palettes, typography, iconography, and more.

Additionally, you can create a Style Guide Page on your website. This hidden page includes examples of your logo, fonts, icons, and other visual assets, making it easy for your team to access everything they need.