PowerPoint continues to be the most commonly used presentation design software. New features are constantly being added to the program, and its existing tools are continuously improved for enhanced user experience.
That said, these constant advancements make it hard for the average PowerPoint user to truly grasp the scope of the software’s features and abilities – which is why so many useful tools get underutilized.
Becoming a master of PowerPoint requires practice and a deep understanding of the platform. This can pose as a challenge for individuals who need to create presentations under a time crunch. Fortunately, professionals who specialize in the software have the tools and resources needed to create high tech, engaging slide decks.
Consider how experienced presentation design specialists can help you to make the most of some newer, lesser-known tools offered by PowerPoint 2019 and upcoming iterations:
Morph Transition
PowerPoint’s Morph Transition function allows you to animate a visual to create the illusion of movement across slides. This newer function is lesser-known and helps to make your slides more visually engaging.
You can use this function to elevate any visual, including stock images. Joanna Liu, a senior presentation consultant at Stinson Design, shared with PC Mag that these types of images are a great way to liven your presentation.
The PowerPoint design specialist explained that “You don’t have to pay a lot of money for a good stock photo, but it can make a great impact and is preferable over commonly-used images that have become cliché.”
Customizable PowerPoint Ribbon
LifeWire describes the PowerPoint Ribbon as “the strip of labels…that run across the top of the PowerPoint window.” The PowerPoint Ribbon is a tool that helps you to streamline your design process.
It’s from this strip that you can access the program’s different functions. This ribbon groups alike tools and features to make them easier to find, but what you may not know is that you can customize these tabs yourself to your liking.
The PowerPoint Ribbon customization function allows you to arrange tabs in a way that makes your commonly used functions more accessible and hides the features you don’t use. You can also both import and export a customized ribbon.
Zoom for PowerPoint
Zoom for PowerPoint, one of the software’s newer functions, enables you to customize your presentation’s navigation. The feature allows you to jump to a different slide (or section of a slide) while you’re presenting. Think of it as a “choose your own adventure” function – except you’re choosing the order of your slides.
The zoom function provides you with a few different options:
- Summary Zoom: Summary Zoom creates a bird’s eye view of all of your slides so that you can revisit a slide without having to go back to the designer view.
- Slide Zoom: Slide Zoom allows you to navigate your slides and show them in the order of your choice
- Section Zoom: Enables you to highlight (or quite literally, zoom in on) specific sections of a slide, whether that be a bullet or image.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the many ways you can use the software’s zoom function, which is why it’s helpful to enlist the help of a PowerPoint specialist who has a good grasp of the tool and its capabilities.
While you focus on your presentation’s content and delivery, a PowerPoint presentation design agency can help you create a slide deck that utilizes the software’s features to its full capabilities. Work with a specialist who can help you integrate some lesser-known features that will set you apart.
