26 min read

SmartArt and Diagrams on Slides

Insert SmartArt for org charts and process diagrams. Edit text and colours to show how Open Day tours flow.

When to Use SmartArt

A process diagram shows tour flow faster than a plain numbered list on a busy Open Day slide. James Okonkwo replaces tour schedule bullets in NorthgateOpenDay.pptx with a Horizontal Process SmartArt: Register \to Main Hall talk \to Campus tour \to Q&A. Use SmartArt when relationships matter: Process — enrolment steps, tour route Hierarchy — senior staff introductions (Principal \to Heads of Department) Cycle — repeating tour times every thirty minutes List — department highlights with icons Keep text short — SmartArt shapes truncate long sentences.

Parents see the Open Day sequence at a glance. 1 Click the Tour schedule slide (or add Title and Content). 2 Click Insert \to Illustrations \to SmartArt . 3 Click Process \to Horizontal Process \to OK . 4 Click the text pane and type: 5 Register at Reception 6 Main Hall welcome 7 Campus tour 8 Q&A 9 Close the text pane when finished. 10 Expected result: Four connected shapes show the tour flow left to right.

The diagram should look like part of NorthgateOpenDay.pptx, not a pasted clipart block. 1 Click the border of the SmartArt diagram. 2 Click SmartArt Design \to Change Colors and pick a theme-matched palette. 3 Click a Layouts thumbnail to switch arrow direction if needed. 4 Drag a corner handle to fit the placeholder without overlapping the title. 5 Expected result: SmartArt uses theme colours and fits the slide without clipping text. Fix: If text is cut off inside shapes, shorten labels or click SmartArt Design \to Shrink Text / enlarge the diagram.

5 subjects read cleaner as a vertical list graphic than plain dots on the departments slide. 1 Click inside the body placeholder on the Our departments slide. 2 Right-click the list \to Convert to SmartArt (or Home \to Convert to SmartArt). 3 Choose Vertical Box List \to OK . 4 Confirm each department name fits on one line in the text pane. 5 Expected result: Five department names appear in SmartArt boxes.

A full paragraph in one SmartArt shape shrinks to unreadable text on the projector. Use six words or fewer per shape. Move details to speaker notes. Cramming sentences into shapes is the most common SmartArt mistake before Open Day.

SmartArt layouts for Open Day
SmartArt layouts for Open Day

Example — Insert new SmartArt: Insert \to SmartArt opens the layout gallery. Pick Process \to Horizontal Process for tour steps. Design \to Themes styles the deck; animate SmartArt after you insert it on the Animations tab.

Practice

Where do you insert a new SmartArt diagram?

When to Use SmartArt

A process diagram shows tour flow faster than a plain numbered list on a busy Open Day slide. James Okonkwo replaces tour schedule bullets in NorthgateOpenDay.pptx with a Horizontal Process SmartArt: Register \to Main Hall talk \to Campus tour \to Q&A. Use SmartArt when relationships matter: Process — enrolment steps, tour route Hierarchy — senior staff introductions (Principal \to Heads of Department) Cycle — repeating tour times every thirty minutes List — department highlights with icons Keep text short — SmartArt shapes truncate long sentences.

Build a Tour-Flow Diagram

Parents see the Open Day sequence at a glance. 1 Click the Tour schedule slide (or add Title and Content). 2 Click Insert \to Illustrations \to SmartArt . 3 Click Process \to Horizontal Process \to OK . 4 Click the text pane and type: 5 Register at Reception 6 Main Hall welcome 7 Campus tour 8 Q&A 9 Close the text pane when finished. 10 Expected result: Four connected shapes show the tour flow left to right.

Match SmartArt to the Theme

The diagram should look like part of NorthgateOpenDay.pptx, not a pasted clipart block. 1 Click the border of the SmartArt diagram. 2 Click SmartArt Design \to Change Colors and pick a theme-matched palette. 3 Click a Layouts thumbnail to switch arrow direction if needed. 4 Drag a corner handle to fit the placeholder without overlapping the title. 5 Expected result: SmartArt uses theme colours and fits the slide without clipping text. Fix: If text is cut off inside shapes, shorten labels or click SmartArt Design \to Shrink Text / enlarge the diagram.

Convert an Existing Bullet List

5 subjects read cleaner as a vertical list graphic than plain dots on the departments slide. 1 Click inside the body placeholder on the Our departments slide. 2 Right-click the list \to Convert to SmartArt (or Home \to Convert to SmartArt). 3 Choose Vertical Box List \to OK . 4 Confirm each department name fits on one line in the text pane. 5 Expected result: Five department names appear in SmartArt boxes.

Keep Labels Short

A full paragraph in one SmartArt shape shrinks to unreadable text on the projector. Use six words or fewer per shape. Move details to speaker notes. Cramming sentences into shapes is the most common SmartArt mistake before Open Day.

SmartArt layouts for Open Day
SmartArt layouts for Open Day

Example — Insert new SmartArt: Insert \to SmartArt opens the layout gallery. Pick Process \to Horizontal Process for tour steps. Design \to Themes styles the deck; animate SmartArt after you insert it on the Animations tab.

Practice

Where do you insert a new SmartArt diagram?