Are your presentations lacking that extra something? Do you want to captivate your audience and make your slides visually appealing? In this article, we’ll cover four tips to help you improve your PowerPoint presentations and take them to the next level.
From design ideas to adding icons and SmartArt, changing theme colors, and adding charts, these tips will help you create stunning slide decks that leave a lasting impression on your Executive and their audience.
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Design Ideas is a powerful feature available in PowerPoint 2016 or 2019 as part of an Office 365 subscription. It uses artificial intelligence to offer you stunning designs for your slides. To access Design Ideas, go to the Design ribbon and click the Design Ideas option on the far right-hand side. This will open up a task pane on the right-hand side of your screen, offering you various suggestions for how your slide could look.
For example, if you have a timeline slide, you can convert it into SmartArt and then use Design Ideas to choose from different layout options and color schemes and even add icons to enhance the visual appeal of your slide. Design Ideas also works with pictures, offering suggestions for the layout of your slide based on the image you’ve added. Simply click on the design you like, and PowerPoint will automatically update your slide with the new design. It’s a simple yet effective way to transform your slides and make them visually stunning.
Here is a good article on Design Ideas that will give you more ideas.
Icons are a great way to add visual elements to your slides and make them more engaging. PowerPoint has a built-in library of icons you can easily add to your slides. To access icons, go to the Insert ribbon and click on Icons in the Illustrations group. This will open a panel where you can choose from various icons to illustrate the concept you’re trying to convey.
For example, if you want to depict a target to represent the idea of goal setting, search for “target” in the icons panel, and choose the icon that best fits your needs. PowerPoint will automatically add the icon to your slide, and you can resize, recolor, and customize it as needed to fit your design. Icons are a versatile and easy way to add visual interest to your slides and make them more visually appealing.
Another way to improve your PowerPoint presentations is by customizing the theme colors. PowerPoint offers a variety of built-in color schemes to choose from, or you can create your own custom color scheme to match your brand or design preferences. To customize your slide’s color scheme, go to the Design ribbon and click on the Colors option.
This will open a menu to choose from or create your own custom color scheme. You can also apply the color scheme to only the current slide or all the slides in your presentation. Customizing the theme colors creates a cohesive and visually appealing look for your presentation, making it more polished and professional.
Charts are a powerful tool for visualizing data in your presentations. They help you convey complex information simply and understandably. PowerPoint offers various chart types, including bar, line, and pie charts. To add a chart to your slide, go to the Insert ribbon, click on Charts in the Illustrations group, and choose the type of chart you want to add.
Once you’ve added the chart to your slide, you can customize it by adding data and making adjustments to match your presentation’s style.
There are plenty of options to improve your PowerPoint presentations. By keeping these strategies and tactics in mind, you’ll be a pro at designing presentations that impress your Executive, stakeholders, and leaders. If you need help gaining more in-depth knowledge of PowerPoint (and other office skills), look no further than our Assistant Essentials Online Course, which covers all the skills you need to advance your career.
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