PowerPoint is so much more than just a presentation software. With a little creativity, you can use it for a variety of purposes beyond creating standard slide decks. In this article, I’ll walk you through seven unexpected things you can do with PowerPoint to make your work more efficient and engaging.
1. Create Infographics
Infographics are a great way to present complex data visually. With PowerPoint’s extensive formatting options, you can easily create stunning infographics from scratch.
To get started:
- Structure your information into a storyboard
- Use charts, icons, and illustrations to represent data
- Utilize PowerPoint’s SmartArt graphics to visualize processes and relationships
- Apply creative and branded color schemes and fonts
With some graphic design flair, you can produce professional-grade infographics to use for reports, social media posts, and more.
![Example infographic made in PowerPoint]
Infographic example made entirely in PowerPoint. Source: [Venngage]
2. Build an Interactive Quiz
Engage your audience by turning your PowerPoint into a fun, interactive quiz. You can add multiple choice questions, hyperlinks between slides, and even keep score.
Follow these steps:
- Compose interesting quiz questions and multiple choice answers
- Add hyperlinks from the answer choices to slides showing if the response was correct or incorrect
- Use animations and transitions to reveal the right answer
- Show the quiz score on each slide and keep a running tally
An interactive PowerPoint quiz can be a lively addition to educational and training content.
3. Automate Reporting
Tired of manually updating PowerPoint reports each month? PowerPoint has data linking tools that allow you to connect to external data sources, such as Excel or SQL Server.
Here’s how to automate your reports:
- Import data into PowerPoint by linking it to a spreadsheet
- Configure slides to automatically refresh when the data source updates
- Use reporting features like parameters and filters to control what data appears
- Schedule auto-refresh with VBA macros so reports run on their own
Now you can produce always up-to-date reports with a simple refresh!
4. Build a Writing Workspace
PowerPoint isn’t just for presentations – it can also serve as an adaptable environment for writing.
To set up PowerPoint for writing:
- Structure each slide as a section of your document
- Insert text boxes for drafting content
- Use headings and text formatting tools to style your document
- Enable the slide sorter view to rearrange sections easily
- Copy finished writing into Word or another editor
With its versatile formatting options, using PowerPoint for writing can help boost your productivity.
5. Design Floor Plans
If you need to sketch out floor plans, PowerPoint provides all the tools without expensive software.
Follow these tips for floor plan diagrams:
- Outline rooms and spaces with PowerPoint’s shape and line tools
- Add dimensions, labels, and notes
- Use alignment guides and grouping to keep elements organized
- Resize and duplicate shapes to furnish the floor plan
- Apply color schemes to distinguish areas
You can render detailed floor plans directly in PowerPoint slides!
6. Build an Escape Room
Bring the exciting adventure of an escape room to your PowerPoint for training events or ice breakers.
To construct an escape room game:
- Make a storyboard with a beginning, clues, puzzles, and an end goal
- Use hyperlinks and action settings to connect slides in a logical order
- Hide clues in slide artwork and animations
- Add puzzles like crosswords, riddles, and decoding games
- Set a countdown timer to raise the stakes
With some imagination, you can create an engaging PowerPoint escape room experience for any audience.
7. Design a Video Game
Believe it or not, PowerPoint has the capability to be a simple video game creation tool. You can make 2D platformers, trivia games, maze runners, and more!
Building a PowerPoint video game involves:
- Mapping out gameplay with storyboard slides
- Adding sprites (game elements) and backgrounds
- Animating sprite motions keyframe by keyframe
- Programming interactivity through hyperlink triggers
- Setting boundaries, collectibles, hazards, and objectives
Give your next presentation a fun, gamified spin.
Conclusion
As you can see, PowerPoint packs a lot of untapped potential beyond basic presenting. From visualizing data to designing games, PowerPoint’s versatility enables you to get creative.
Hopefully this article sparked some ideas for new ways to use PowerPoint relevant to your work. Leveraging these hidden features can level up your PowerPoint skills to new heights.
The next time you open up PowerPoint, think outside the conventional slide deck and discover what else is possible.
