Should you’re right here since you’re questioning easy methods to make PowerPoint, you’re in the suitable place. Let’s simply hope it’s not the evening earlier than the massive day.
However it’s okay… I’ve been there too. As a author with extraordinarily common design abilities, creating nice shows can generally really feel like an insurmountable job. The storytelling is a key part, which we’ll get into later, however your design method and supply techniques are simply as necessary, too.
On this article, we’ll go over all of those points of an excellent PowerPoint — from the design and creation course of to easy methods to ship a presentation like a professional. I’ll additionally share some useful assets to get you began.
Desk of Contents
Methods to Make a PowerPoint Presentation
Microsoft PowerPoint is sort of a take a look at of primary skilled abilities, and every PowerPoint is principally a presentation made from a number of slides.
Successful PowerPoints rely upon three primary components: your command of PowerPoint’s design instruments, your consideration to presentation processes, and being constant together with your type.
Maintain these in thoughts as we leap into PowerPoint’s capabilities.
Getting Began
1. Open PowerPoint and click on ‘New.’
A web page with templates will often open mechanically, but when not, I’m going to the highest left pane of my display screen and click on New. If I’ve already created a presentation, I choose Open after which double-click the icon to open the prevailing file.
2. Select a theme or create your individual.
Microsoft provides built-in themes and coloration variations that will help you design your slides with a cohesive look. To select from these pre-built themes, I select the File tab once more, choose New, select one of many choices, and click on Create.
P.S. Now we have some nice PowerPoint templates that you may check out — you possibly can browse them here.
There may be additionally an possibility to pick out a clean presentation in the event you choose to start out from scratch. I like this feature as a result of I can use PowerPoint components, my design sense, and my model’s color palette to make my very own theme.
Creating PowerPoint Slides
3. Insert a slide.
I insert a brand new slide by clicking on the Residence tab after which the New Slide button. When selecting the slide structure, contemplate what content material you wish to placed on the slide, together with heading, textual content, and imagery.
4. Create a wide range of slides for various functions.
You don’t wish to current the identical actual slide every time, simply with totally different content material on it. This could bore your viewers, so just remember to create a number of variations.
I recommend you contemplate what sort of multimedia you’ll be utilizing and select or create totally different layouts accordingly. At minimal, I often use:
- A title slide
- An agenda or desk of contents slide
- A slide that introduces the speaker
- Varied content material slides
5. Use the “Duplicate” function to avoid wasting you time.
There’s no have to create these designs time and again. As soon as I’ve a couple of to attract from, I merely duplicate them earlier than inputting my content material:
- On the left pane, I right-click the thumbnail of the slide I wish to duplicate.
- I select Duplicate Slide from the pop-up menu.
This can mechanically add a replica of this slide to the presentation. From there, I can customise it for my wants.
6. Add photographs to your slide.
I add pictures by clicking Insert and clicking the Footage icon. I can add different components by utilizing options within the Residence and Insert tabs on the highest ribbon. I like exploring my structure by dragging components round.
Ending Up Your Presentation
7. Save your presentation.
I click on File and Save, ensuring to specify the place I would like my PowerPoint to be saved. Should you’re utilizing your slides for schooling or educating, it may very well be helpful to convert your presentation to an online course.
8. Run your presentation.
I at all times do a trial run to make sure that my slides are arrange correctly and my animations fireplace the way in which I anticipate them to.
To current my PowerPoint, I’m going to the Slide Present tab and click on Play from Begin. The slide covers my complete display screen in order that my viewers (or, on this case, me) is solely centered on the visible components of my presentation.
9. Advance the slides.
Everytime you’re in presentation mode and able to transfer on, click on your mouse to advance to the following slide.
PowerPoint Presentation Suggestions
- Don’t let PowerPoint resolve how you employ PowerPoint.
- Create customized slide sizes.
- Edit your slide template design.
- Write textual content together with your viewers in thoughts.
- Be certain that all your objects are correctly aligned.
- Use “Format Object” to higher management your objects’ designs.
- Reap the benefits of PowerPoint’s shapes.
- Create customized shapes.
- Crop pictures into customized shapes.
- Current web sites inside PowerPoint.
- Attempt Utilizing GIFs.
- Maintain it easy.
- Embed your font information.
- Save your slides as a PDF file for backup functions.
- Embed multimedia.
- Deliver your individual {hardware}.
- Use “Presenter View.”
PowerPoint Model Suggestions
1. Don’t let PowerPoint resolve how you employ PowerPoint.
Microsoft needed to offer PowerPoint customers with a number of instruments, however this doesn’t imply it is best to use all of them. Belief me, you don’t need it trying like your tweenage Geocities website and taking part in undesirable midi-files.
To maintain it skilled, listed below are some key issues I recommend you look out for:
- Make it possible for any preset themes complement your wants earlier than you undertake them.
- Keep away from Microsoft Workplace’s default fonts, Calibri and Cambria — they will make the presentation really feel underwhelming.
- Professionals ought to by no means use PowerPoint’s motion sounds.
- PowerPoint makes bulleting computerized. Bullets are sometimes applicable, however not at all times.
- All shapes begin blue with a small shadow. Take away this shadow if it’s not wanted, and don’t depart shapes default blue — it reads as a mistake to different PowerPoint customers.
I believe the simplest option to know you’re getting it proper is to obtain some templates. We offer 30 free templates that you just’re welcome to check out. Even in the event you don’t find yourself utilizing them, you’ll get a way of greatest design practices.
2. Create customized slide sizes.
Default slide sizes work for many shows, however chances are you’ll want to regulate them for bigger shows and/or weirdly-sized shows. Right here’s how:
- Within the top-left nook, select File.
- Choose Web page Setup.
- Sort the peak and width of the background you’d like, and click on OK.
- A dialogue field will seem. Click on Scale if you wish to additionally resize your content material, or Don’t Scale if not. I like to recommend clicking Don’t Scale, then manually adjusting minor structure points.
Professional tip: You may keep away from a headache in the event you resize your slides earlier than you add any objects to them. In any other case, the size of your objects will develop into skewed.
3. Edit your slide template design.
I discover it’s a lot simpler to edit your underlying PowerPoint template earlier than you begin — this manner, you don’t need to design every slide by hand. Right here’s how I do it:
- Choose View within the prime navigation.
- Click on Grasp.
- Within the dropdown, click on Slide Grasp.
- Make any modifications you want, then click on Shut Grasp within the prime ribbon. All present and future slides in that presentation will use that template.
4. Write textual content together with your viewers in thoughts.
Keep in mind that no matter else your PowerPoint presentation does, it must assist the implausible content material you’re sharing with stakeholders.
A big a part of a PowerPoint’s content material is textual content, and nice copy could make or break your presentation.
I recommend you consider your written work from a couple of totally different angles so you realize your total viewers can see and perceive it.
Maintain the quantity of textual content below 6-8 strains (or 30 phrases max). Use a minimal font measurement 24 pt. How your textual content is obtained differentiates good presenters from the perfect.
Typography
Selecting the best font is necessary — the notion of your font sort may affect your viewers’s impression of you. I consider the suitable typeface is a chance to convey constant model persona and professionalism.
Some fonts are seen as clear {and professional}, however this doesn’t imply they’re boring. A typical mistake is pondering your font isn’t thrilling sufficient, which may lead you to decide on a font that distracts out of your message.
I like to recommend sticking to simple serif and sans-serif fonts. Keep away from script fonts due to potential readability points.
That mentioned, you possibly can nonetheless use enjoyable and eccentric fonts moderately. Offsetting a enjoyable font or massive letters with one thing extra skilled can create an enticing presentation.
Above all, make sure you’re constant so your presentation seems cohesive all through every slide. Try this instance from HubSpot’s firm profile templates:
Interested in this presentation template? Download it for free here.
5. Be certain that all your objects are correctly aligned.
It is a enormous pet peeve of mine. Having correctly aligned objects in your slide is the important thing to creating it look polished {and professional}. You may manually attempt to line up your pictures, however everyone knows how that usually works out.
Do away with the guessing recreation and let PowerPoint work its magic to align a number of objects:
- Choose all objects by holding down Shift and clicking on all of them.
- Choose Prepare within the prime choices bar, then select Align or Distribute.
- Select the kind of alignment you want.
Right here’s how I align objects to the slide:
- Choose all objects by holding down Shift and clicking on all of them.
- Choose Prepare within the prime choices bar, then select Align or Distribute.
- Choose Align to Slide.
- Choose Prepare within the prime choices bar once more, then select Align or Distribute.
- Select the kind of alignment you’d like.
PowerPoint Design Instruments
6. Use “Format Object” to higher management your objects’ designs.
I like format menus as a result of they permit me to make effective changes that in any other case appear unattainable.
To do that, right-click on an object and choose the Format Object possibility. (The title of the thing within the drop-down menu will change relying on whether or not you’re formatting an image or form.) Right here, you possibly can fine-tune shadows, regulate form measurements, create reflections, and way more. The menu seems like this:
Though the principle choices could be discovered on PowerPoint’s format toolbars, search for full management within the format window menu. Different choices embody:
- Adjusting textual content inside a form.
- Making a pure perspective shadow behind an object.
- Recoloring photographs manually and with computerized choices.
7. Reap the benefits of PowerPoint’s shapes.
PowerPoint’s form instruments have come a great distance. At the moment’s shapes embody a extremely practical Sensible Shapes operate, which lets you create diagrams and circulate charts very quickly.
I discover these instruments are particularly useful as a result of paragraphing and bullet lists are boring to have a look at — I really like utilizing shapes to assist categorical my message extra clearly.
8. Create customized shapes.
If you create a form, right-click and press Edit Factors to create customized shapes that suit your particular wants. For example, you possibly can reshape arrows to suit the size you want:
Another choice is to mix two shapes collectively. Choose the 2 shapes you’d prefer to work with, then click on Form Format within the prime ribbon. Faucet Merge Shapes. There are a number of choices to create customized shapes:
- Mix creates a customized form that has overlapping parts of the 2 earlier shapes minimize out.
- Union makes one utterly merged form.
- Intersect builds a form of solely the overlapping sections of the 2 earlier shapes.
- Subtract cuts out the overlapping portion of 1 form from the opposite.
- Fragment will break up your form into totally different components relying on the place they overlap.
9. Crop pictures into customized shapes.
It’s also possible to use PowerPoint to crop current pictures into new shapes:
- Click on on the picture and choose Image Format within the choices bar.
- Select Crop, then Crop to Form, after which select your required form.
10. Current web sites inside PowerPoint.
Imagine it or not, presenting web sites inside PowerPoint is one thing we’re nonetheless having to search out workarounds for.
From my expertise, these are some techniques which have labored previously which may be useful relying on which model of PowerPoint you’ve:
- Historically, to point out an internet site in a PowerPoint slide, you’d simply create a hyperlink to the web page and immediate a separate browser to open.
- Attempt including the third-party program LiveWeb that you just set up in your PowerPoint program. Head to the LiveWeb website and comply with the directions. Sadly, Mac customers don’t have an identical possibility.
- Take screenshots of an internet site, insert the picture in your slide, and hyperlink in by a browser. You may embed media (similar to a YouTube video) by downloading it on to your laptop.
- Some variations allowed a Net Viewer Add-on till Microsoft determined that was a safety threat. Insert > Get Add-ons, seek for Net Viewer, then click on on the Add button.
- Install ClassPoint, which basically places an web window on prime of your slide to be used till you’re performed with it. Then, you possibly can simply transfer to the following slide. You may even bookmark the net web page you need forward of time to leap straight to it. Utilizing this does introduce a brand new navigation bar on the backside of your presentation. Right here’s a video, Introduction to ClassPoint:
- Lastly, PowerPoint Dwell is a brand new instrument that lets you do extra seamless shows throughout video calls and perhaps a greater general match for doing shows remotely. Try this video:
11. Attempt Utilizing GIFs.
GIFs are looped animated pictures used to speak a temper, thought, info, and way more.
I take pleasure in adding GIFs to PowerPoints to be humorous or rapidly demo a course of. They’re very fashionable with and simply acknowledged by Millenials and Gen Z, and it’s simple so as to add GIFs to your slides:
- Obtain and save the GIF you need.
- Go to the slide you need the GIF on.
- Go to the Residence tab, and click on both Insert or Image.
- From the Image drop-down menu, select Image from File.
- Navigate to the place you saved your GIF and choose it. Then, select Insert.
- It would play mechanically the second you insert it.
PowerPoint Course of
12. Maintain it easy.
PowerPoint is a wonderful instrument to assist your presentation with visible info, graphics, and supplemental factors.
Your PowerPoint shouldn’t be your total presentation, and the weather you do introduce have to operate correctly.
If the presentation merely repeats your phrases, has damaged hyperlinks, or reveals unreadable textual content, the hiccups can develop into the takeaway of your discuss, irrespective of how well-spoken the presentation.
I discover slam-dunking the fundamentals by conserving it easy is the way in which to go. In case your slides have dense and cluttered info, it is going to distract your viewers, and you would lose their consideration.
In brief? Maintain your presentation persuasive by conserving it clear:
- Restrict bullet factors and textual content.
- Keep away from paragraphs and lengthy quotes.
- Keep “white house” or “unfavourable house.”
- Maintain percentages, graphs, and knowledge tremendous primary.
13. Embed your font information.
One fixed drawback presenters have with PowerPoint is that fonts appear to alter when presenters transfer from one laptop to a different.
The fonts will not be truly altering — the presentation laptop simply doesn’t have the identical font information put in.
To embed your fonts on a PC:
- Click on File, then Choices.
- Open up the Save tab.
- Choose the Embed fonts within the file test field below Protect constancy when sharing this presentation.
Now, your presentation will hold the font file, and your fonts won’t change while you transfer computer systems.
To embed your fonts on a Mac:
- On the highest bar, click on PowerPoint, then click on Preferences.
- Underneath Output and Sharing, click on Save.
- Underneath Font Embedding, click on Embed fonts within the file.
14. Save your slides as a PDF file for backup functions.
Should you’re nonetheless afraid of your presentation displaying up otherwise when it’s time to current, you possibly can create a PDF model simply in case.
I believe it is a good possibility in the event you’ll be presenting on a distinct laptop as a result of if it doesn’t have PowerPoint put in, you possibly can nonetheless use the system viewer to open a PDF.
The one caveat is that your GIFs, animations, and transitions received’t switch over.
To avoid wasting your presentation as a PDF file:
- Go to File, then click on Save as…
- Within the pop-up window, click on File Format.
- A drop-down menu will seem. Choose PDF.
- Click on Export.
It’s also possible to go to File, then Export, then choose PDF from the file format menu.
15. Embed multimedia.
PowerPoint means that you can both hyperlink to video/audio information externally or to embed the media instantly in your presentation. For PCs, I believe two nice causes for embedding are:
- Embedding means that you can play media instantly in your presentation. It would look way more skilled than switching between home windows.
- Embedding additionally implies that the file stays throughout the PowerPoint presentation, so it ought to play usually with out additional work (besides on a Mac).
Should you use PowerPoint for Mac, it will get a bit difficult, however it may be performed:
- All the time carry the video and/or audio file with you in the identical folder because the PowerPoint presentation.
- Solely insert video or audio information as soon as the presentation and the containing folder have been saved on a transportable drive of their everlasting folder.
- If the presentation will likely be performed on a Home windows laptop, then Mac customers want to ensure their multimedia information are in WMV format.
- Think about using the identical working system for designing and presenting, it doesn’t matter what.
16. Deliver your individual {hardware}.
Between working programs, PowerPoint remains to be a bit jumpy. Even between differing PPT variations, issues can change. The simplest repair? Simply carry alongside your individual laptop computer while you’re presenting.
The subsequent best repair is to add your PowerPoint presentation into Google Slides as a backup possibility — simply ensure that there’s a good web connection and a browser out there the place you intend to current.
Google Slides is a cloud-based presentation software program that may present up the identical means on all working programs.
To import your PowerPoint presentation into Google Slides:
- Navigate to slides.google.com. Ensure you’re signed in to a Google account (ideally your individual).
- Underneath Begin a brand new presentation, click on the empty field with a plus signal. This can open up a clean presentation.
- Go to File, then Import slides.
- A dialog field will come up. Faucet Add.
- Click on Choose a file out of your gadget.
- Choose your presentation and click on Open.
- Choose the slides you’d prefer to import. If you wish to import all of them, click on All within the higher right-hand nook of the dialog field.
- Click on Import slides.
After I examined this out, Google Slides imported every thing completely, together with a form whose factors I had manipulated. It is a good backup choice to have in the event you’ll be presenting throughout totally different working programs.
17. Use “Presenter View.”
In most presentation conditions, there will likely be each a presenter’s display screen and the principle projected show to your presentation.
PowerPoint has an excellent instrument known as Presenter View, which could be discovered within the Slide Present tab of PowerPoint. Included within the Presenter View is an space for notes, a timer/clock, and a presentation show.
For a lot of presenters, I’ve seen this instrument assist unify their spoken presentation and their visible aids. You by no means wish to make the PowerPoint appear to be a stack of notes that you just’re studying off of.
Use the Presenter View possibility to assist create a extra pure presentation.
Professional tip: At first of the presentation, you also needs to hit CTRL + H to make the cursor disappear. Hitting the “A” key will carry it again in the event you want it.
Widespread PowerPoint Presentation Errors to Keep away from
Now that we’ve coated the fundamentals on easy methods to create a PowerPoint presentation, let’s go over the fundamentals of what makes a presentation memorable — beginning with what not to do.
1. Studying instantly from the slides.
As somebody who has sat by a whole bunch of shows and webinars, few issues frustrate me greater than watching somebody learn their slides word-for-word. It makes the presenter appear unprepared and disengaged, and it rapidly loses the viewers’s consideration.
Additionally, it makes the viewers really feel dumb — they’re simply as able to studying the slide as you’re, so in the event you don’t carry further worth, why hassle with the presentation?
Do this as a substitute: Attempt to have 2-3 details per slide that you just wish to get throughout. Don’t really feel the necessity to write all of it on the slides. As a substitute, write out what’s most necessary to know and use bullet factors, visuals, or key phrases to information your dialogue.
2. Making a presentation with no function.
Each presentation ought to have a function — a transparent level that each viewers member will stroll away with. Should you can’t state the aim of your presentation in a single sentence, your viewers will really feel misplaced and confused about what your message is.
Do this as a substitute: Earlier than you craft your presentation, ask your self, “Why am I making this presentation?” and “What do I would like my viewers to remove from it?” After you reply these two questions, test your slides and speaking factors towards your solutions to ensure every one aligns together with your final targets.
3. Utilizing too many “buzzy options” that distract from the message.
PowerPoint provides a ton of cool options — animations, transitions, sound results — however simply since you can use them doesn’t imply it is best to.
Too many results could make your presentation really feel cluttered and amateurish, and as a substitute of focusing in your message, your viewers is left questioning, Why did that textual content simply spin onto the display screen?
Do this as a substitute: Let your message be what stands out essentially the most. Attempt to simplify every slide as a lot as doable and get rid of till you’ve simply what’s completely needed to inform your story.
4. Not training timing beforehand.
Should you’re new to delivering shows, you could be shocked at how for much longer it takes you to provide your presentation IRL than while you go over your slides in your head.
Do this as a substitute: Do a couple of rounds of training out loud at dwelling (or, higher but, to a buddy or associate) to see how long it takes you to get by your slides and the place you would possibly want to hurry issues up or elaborate extra.
5. Talking too quick or slowly.
After I was in journalism faculty, pacing was one of many hardest issues to grasp. It’s simple to talk too quick while you’re nervous or excited. On the flip facet, talking too slowly could make you appear uncertain or disengaged.
Do this as a substitute: If you’re training, purpose for a easy, measured tempo. Generally, it may be useful to report your self whereas talking to see how your presentation would possibly come throughout to your viewers.
6. Utilizing too many filler phrases like “like” or “um.”
All of us use filler phrases when talking, however too many could make you sound unprepared or uncertain of your materials.
Do this as a substitute:
- Apply pausing as a substitute of filling house. A brief silence feels way more pure than a string of “um’s.”
- Concentrate on your habits. Should you continuously use filler phrases, consciously prepare your self to interchange them with pauses.
- Attempt talking extra slowly. Filler phrases typically come from speeding by a presentation with out sufficient time to assume.
7. Ending with no sturdy conclusion.
A weak ending — like “Nicely, that’s it” or “Any questions?” — could make your presentation really feel unfinished.
You wish to use your ultimate moments to go away a message together with your viewers, whether or not it’s potential enterprise traders or a job alternative.
Do this as a substitute: Earlier than presenting, ask your self what’s one factor you need everybody to stroll away figuring out after your presentation. Use your conclusion to recap your details and get this message throughout.
Your Subsequent Nice PowerPoint Presentation Begins Right here
Now that you’ve got these type, design, and presentation suggestions below your belt, it is best to really feel assured to create your PowerPoint presentation.
However in the event you can, I like to recommend exploring our other resources to ensure your content material hits the mark. In any case, you want a powerful presentation to land your level and make an impression. And it’ll take each apply and time; don’t stress!
With a number of templates to select from — each in PowerPoint and out there for free download — you possibly can swiftly be in your option to creating shows that wow your audiences.
Editor’s word: This submit was initially revealed in September 2013 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
