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Start with PowerPoint

3 tips – and common pitfalls to avoid.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Create Impactful Presentations

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There’s an art to creating an informative and engaging PowerPoint presentation. Thankfully, when it comes to design, the app does much of the heavy lifting for you.

But with great power comes great responsibility. Here are three features every newbie should try—and common pitfalls to avoid when using them.

1. Embrace templates (but go deep with one to start)

PowerPoint offers a range of beautifully designed templates. Each includes multiple slide designs (which PowerPoint calls master slides) with different default font sizes, text layouts and areas to place images and other content.

To look like a pro: start with a simple template and learn it inside and out before moving onto another one. There’s a lot to explore in each.

A simple design with simple transitions will often be more effective than an overdone deck.

2. Add visuals (but make them meaningful)

Each new slide offers a handy button that lets you add tables, charts, images, videos and shapes. You can also add PowerPoint’s SmartArt, a selection of nifty, ready-made graphics – think Venn diagrams and flow charts – for illustrating processes and relationships.

To look like a pro: take it slow. As tempting as it may be to load up your slides with visuals, make sure anything you add serves to clarify your ideas. Eye candy can distract from getting your message across.

3. Use transitions (but do so conservatively)

A transition – the animated shift from one slide to the next – is like taking a breath. It’s less jarring than an abrupt switch and gives your audience a chance to process the information you just presented.

Adding a transition is easy: click the Transitions tab, select the slide(s) in the sidebar you want to apply the transition to, then choose an effect. You can’t go wrong with the basic Wipe – it’s a classic!

To look like a pro: stick with a single transition type throughout your presentation rather than using different ones for each slide. And don’t worry about adding transitions until you’ve completed all your slides; you can do so in one fell swoop.