Adding SmartArt graphics to your PowerPoint presentations can make them much more visually appealing and easier to understand. In this article, I’ll walk you through the entire process of using SmartArt, from inserting a graphic to customizing it.
What is SmartArt?
SmartArt is a powerful feature in PowerPoint that lets you create diagrams, charts, hierarchies, processes, cycles, relationships, and more. Instead of building these graphics from scratch, SmartArt gives you tons of pre-made layouts and styles to choose from.
Some examples of things you can create with SmartArt:
- Organizational charts
- Flowcharts
- Timelines
- Cycles
- Hierarchies
- Relationships
The main benefit of using SmartArt is that it saves you a ton of time and effort while allowing you to make professional-looking visuals with just a few clicks.
How to Insert a SmartArt Graphic
Inserting a SmartArt graphic into your presentation only takes a few seconds. Here’s how to do it:
- Open your PowerPoint presentation and navigate to the slide where you want to add the SmartArt graphic
- Click on the Insert tab in the ribbon
- In the Illustrations group, click on the SmartArt icon
This will open up the Choose a SmartArt Graphic dialog box.
Choosing a SmartArt Layout
The left side of the dialog box shows you all of the available layouts organized into categories like Process, Hierarchy, Relationship, etc.
Hover your mouse over a layout to see a preview of it on the right side of the box. Once you find one you like, click on it to select it.
Consider the type of information you want to visualize as you browse the various SmartArt layouts. For example, if you’re showing sequential steps in a process, choose a layout from the Process tab.
When you’ve found the perfect layout for your content, click OK to insert it onto your slide.
Adding Text to the SmartArt
After inserting your chosen SmartArt graphic, you’ll notice a Text pane appears to the left of the graphic. This is where you’ll enter the text you want to visualize in the graphic.
The Text pane contains a bulleted list. Each bullet corresponds to one element in the SmartArt visual.
Simply click on a bullet and type the text you want to appear in that element of the graphic. As you add text, the graphic will grow and adapt to fit your content.
Press Enter to add a new bullet/element.
Delete a bullet to remove that element from the graphic.
This makes it super simple to populate your SmartArt visual!
Customizing the Look and Feel
Now that you’ve added your content to the SmartArt graphic, let’s make some styling tweaks to perfect its design.
When you click on your SmartArt graphic, a SmartArt Tools tab appears in the ribbon. Here you’ll find tons of customization options.
Changing the Layout
If you decide your original layout choice isn’t quite right for your content, no problem!
On the Design tab, click the More arrow in the Layouts group. This opens a gallery of all the layout options. Click on a different layout to apply it to your SmartArt graphic.
Changing the Color Scheme
You can change the entire color scheme of your SmartArt graphic to better fit your presentation’s design.
On the Design tab, click on the Change Colors button and select the color variant you want.
Applying Styles
To give your graphic some visual flair, apply one of the many unique SmartArt Styles.
On the Design tab, click the More arrow in the SmartArt Styles group and select a style from the gallery. This applies custom fills, lines, effects, and more.
There are tons more ways to customize the appearance of your SmartArt graphic in PowerPoint. Play around with the options on the SmartArt Tools tabs to create the perfect visual!
Animating Your SmartArt
A great way to make your SmartArt graphic stand out is to add some animation to it. This makes the elements appear one at a time as you present.
To animate your SmartArt:
- Click on the graphic to open the SmartArt Tools tabs
- Select the Animations tab
- Click the Animation Pane button
- Click on each element in the SmartArt graphic and select an entrance animation from the dropdown menu
The elements will now slide, fade, or bounce onto the slide one by one when you present!
Tips for Using SmartArt Effectively
Here are some tips to help you make the most of PowerPoint’s SmartArt feature:
- Keep it simple – Don’t overwhelm your audience with complex graphics stuffed with text
- Use it consistently – Stick to one or two SmartArt layouts in a presentation
- Customize thoughtfully – Make styling choices that align with your message
- Animate strategically – Only animate key elements to keep the focus clear
The SmartArt tools in PowerPoint provide a quick and easy way to create all kinds of graphics to visualize processes, relationships, hierarchies and more. With a bit of practice, you’ll be able to make professional diagrams that bring your presentations to the next level.
I hope this overview gave you some ideas on how to add and customize SmartArt for awesome presentations! Let me know if you have any other questions.
