The 7 Best PowerPoint Animation Tips

Animations can be a great way to enhance your PowerPoint presentations and make them more dynamic and engaging. However, it’s easy to overdo animations and make your slides distracting. In this article, we’ll share the 7 best PowerPoint animation tips to use animations effectively.

Step 1: Use Animations Sparingly

Too many animations can overwhelm your audience. Stick to 1-2 animations per slide, only animating key text or visuals. Using animations to emphasize important points can make those points more memorable.

Step 2: Keep Animations Simple

Subtle, simple animations like fades or wipes work well. Avoid over-the-top animations with too many effects stacked on each other. Simple animations are classier and don’t distract from your content.

Step 3: Be Consistent with Animation Styles

Using consistent animation styles throughout your presentation creates cohesion. For example, you could fade in all bullet points and wipe transitions between slides. Avoid using too many different animations.

Step 4: Use Smooth Animations

Harsh or jerky animations can feel amateur. Use smooth 0.5 second animations to transition elements seamlessly. This enhances flow without distracting.

Step 5: Animate Text for Emphasis

Animating key text phrases or statistics makes them stand out. Use entrances like fade ins, wipes or fly ins to sequentially animate bullet points or paragraphs.

Step 6: Use Motion Paths for Visuals

For visuals like charts, images or icons, use motion paths to make them enter the slide from off the layout. This grabs attention.

Step 7: Preview Animations

Preview animations using Presenter View before presenting. Ensure they enhance your content without distraction. Tweak animations that don’t work.

Conclusion

The key is using animations to improve comprehension and memorability without overshadowing content. Follow these PowerPoint animation tips to add polish without disruption. Subtle, smooth and consistent animations engage audiences rather than distracting them.