Company Profile Design: What to Include and How to Brief a Designer

Define the purpose before choosing the page count

Write down who will receive the profile, what they already know and what they need to decide. Is it an introduction after an enquiry, a document shared before a meeting or supporting material for a proposal?

A company profile introduces the business and its capabilities. A pitch deck usually develops a particular opportunity or argument for a presentation. They can share an identity and approved facts, but do not need to be the same document. See our profile and pitch deck design services when deciding which format fits.

What a useful company profile includes

Give readers a concise overview, a clear service or product offering and relevant proof. Explain how the business works and where it operates. Include contact details and a next step that fit the intended audience.

Choose evidence over unsupported superlatives. A project example can state the problem, your role and the delivered work. Only include results, client names, testimonials, credentials or partner logos that are accurate and approved for this use. If an outcome was not measured, describe the deliverable rather than inventing a benefit.

An illustrative 10-page outline

An 8–12-page profile can be a useful planning example for a service business. It is not a required length or a standard package. The following fictional 10-page structure shows how information could flow:

1. Cover: business name, a clear descriptor and relevant imagery.
2. Overview: what the business does and whom it serves.
3. Capabilities: the main services or product groups.
4. Service detail: what a typical engagement includes.
5. Approach: how work is planned, delivered and supported.
6. Project example one: brief, role, deliverables and approved evidence.
7. Project example two: a different relevant capability or audience.
8. Team: the people and responsibilities relevant to the reader.
9. Supporting credentials: verified qualifications or other requested evidence.
10. Contact and next step: how to request information or begin a project.

Combine sections if the content is short. Expand only where useful evidence needs more space. Do not pad pages with generic mission statements or repeated service descriptions to reach a number.

Plan print, digital PDF and web use separately

Print: confirm the finished size, binding, paper and quantity with the printer. Agree its artwork specifications, including bleed, image quality and colour handling. A digital attachment should not automatically be treated as print-ready artwork.

Digital PDF: keep text readable on typical screens, optimise the file for its intended distribution and test links. Use a clear filename and version so staff send the approved document. A visually complex spread may need adaptation for screen reading.

Web: consider an HTML version of the key information for easier mobile browsing and updates. A download can supplement useful website pages. Check that services and contact details agree across the profile and the site.

Include PDF accessibility in the brief

Discuss accessibility before layout starts. Request real text, meaningful heading structure, appropriate document tags, a logical reading order, descriptive links and alternative text for informative images. Set the document title and language correctly.

Review the exported PDF as well as the design file. Tagging alone does not prove the document is accessible, and automated checking cannot assess every issue. Complex columns, tables and graphics need particular attention. Adobe’s accessible PDF guidance explains why source preparation and checking the finished document both matter.

Make project evidence useful to a buyer

A project page should help the reader understand the business’s capability, rather than simply displaying a photograph and client logo. Use a short account of the request, the role performed and the delivered work. Include limitations that matter to the intended buyer.

Fictional example: A facilities contractor is preparing a profile for property managers. A permitted project example describes maintenance work at an occupied office, the agreed responsibilities and how the team coordinated access. The evidence is the actual scope and delivery record. It does not become an invented percentage saving or satisfaction claim.

If client details cannot be shared, agree whether an anonymised description is appropriate. A recognisable image can still disclose the client, so check it alongside the text. Select two or three examples relevant to the intended audience instead of including every project the business has completed.

Agree handover and future editing

Discuss future updates before choosing the design tools and deliverables. A profile that one administrator needs to revise regularly has different handover requirements from a tightly controlled print document updated once a year.

• Approved outputs: Name the print, screen PDF, presentation or web versions required.
• Editable files: Agree which source files are included and which software is needed to use them.
• Linked assets: Confirm which photographs, graphics and font licences can be transferred or reused.
• Update owner: Decide who keeps services, people, credentials and contact information current.
• Version control: Keep a clear approved file name and stop circulating superseded copies.
• Review: Check links, text, exports and the relevant print or accessibility requirements after changes.

These are scope questions, not assumptions about a standard design package. Refer to the branding guide when the profile also needs an identity update.