Transitions in PowerPoint 2003 allow you to control how your slides move from one to the next during a slideshow. Using transitions can add polish and professionalism to a presentation.

Types of Transitions

There are many built-in transition effects to choose from in PowerPoint 2003:

Fade and wipe transitions smoothly transition from one slide to the next.

Push and split transitions move in slides from different directions.
Strips and reveals peel back the current slide to show the next one behind it.
Random transitions pick a different transition effect each time.

You can also modify transitions by changing their:

Speed – how fast or slow the transition takes place
Sound – add sound effects during the transition

Advance – automatic or manual transition triggers

Adding Transitions

To add a transition in PowerPoint 2003:

Switch to Slide Sorter View to see all slides as thumbnails

Select the slide(s) you want to add a transition to
Go to Slide Show > Slide Transition
Pick a transition effect and set options like speed

Click Apply to All to add the transition to all slides

You can preview transitions by clicking the Play button in the Slide Transition pane.

Transition Tips

When working with transitions, keep these tips in mind:

Use consistent transitions throughout for a polished flow
Avoid overusing flashy transitions that distract from content
Set transition speed to match the pace of your presentation

Add transition sounds sparingly as they can be annoying
Test transitions thoroughly in Slide Show view

Animating Slide Content

Along with slide transitions, you can also animate text and objects within a slide:

Entrance effects – objects fly in or fade in
Emphasis effects – objects grow, shrink, spin, change color
Exit effects – objects fly or fade out

Motion paths – objects follow a custom path

To animate content in PowerPoint 2003:

Select the text or object to animate

Go to Slide Show > Custom Animation
Pick an animation effect and set options
Use the Play button to preview animations

Animations can make a presentation more dynamic, but use them in moderation. Too much animation can be distracting.

Presentation Tips

Here are some final tips for adding transitions and animation effectively:

Consistency – Use consistent transition and animation styles

Pacing – Ensure transition speed matches presentation pace
Simplicity – Avoid complex animations that overload slides
Testing – Thoroughly test transitions and animations

Visuals first – Ensure transitions enhance rather than distract from key visuals

Following these tips will help you add transitions and animations that augment your presentation rather than take away from it.

Conclusion

In PowerPoint 2003, transitions and animations provide useful tools for controlling the flow between slides and adding visual interest within slides. Used judiciously and consistently, they can enhance the viewing experience and make presentations more professional, dynamic, and compelling. Mastering transitions and animations takes practice, but the effort pays off in presentations that engage and inform your audience.