Use a “shapes on an arrow” diagram to show steps in a process
Category: Diagrams
Download free Timelines & Calendars; Issue #371 August 30, 2016
Quickly create timeline visuals by starting with a pre-built timeline or calendar you can copy onto a PowerPoint slide
The quickest way to create a timeline; Issue #358 March 1, 2016
One of the categories of messages I cover in my book Select Effective Visuals is messages that communicate a relationship over time. Too often presenters use a list of dates like this: Instead, use a visual that includes a timeline, like this: When I show this sort of makeover in my customized workshops, I often…
Why SmartArt is often misused; Issue #326 December 9, 2014
At my workshops I suggest that people not use the SmartArt feature of PowerPoint. Example slides I reviewed at a recent workshop reinforced how this feature is often misused. The big issue is that most people pick SmartArt based on how nice it looks vs. whether it effectively communicates the correct message. Let’s start with…
Free Pre-Made Diagrams; Issue #317 August 5, 2014
Where do you turn when you want to use a diagram to show a sequence relationship or a relationship between entities (two of the six categories of messages in my book Select Effective Visuals)? Microsoft will tell you to use SmartArt. I suggest you don’t use SmartArt. It is inflexible, hard to edit, hard to customize,…
Show steps in a process; October 29, 2013
When you need to explain a process, whether it is a manufacturing process, process for handling expense claims, or process for installing a new system, there are steps you want to walk the audience through. The default template in PowerPoint leads many presenters to use a numbered list of steps: step one through to the…
Timeline Visuals; Issue #278 January 22, 2013
In a presentation where you have to share with the audience when some events happened or are planned to occur, don’t use a list of dates and descriptions. While accurate, a simple list does not help the audience to understand the time span involved and when the events occur within that timeframe. Instead, use a…
Use a Venn diagram to show overlapping relationships
One of the types of visuals that I review in my workshops is the Venn diagram. These diagrams were created in 1881 by John Venn as a way to represent relationships in the branch of mathematics known as set theory. The basic Venn diagram used in presentations shows two partially overlapping shapes, usually circles or…
Create professional looking diagrams by using techniques that line up things perfectly; Issue #164 July 22, 2008
PowerPoint Tip: Align & Distribute for consistency On one of the makeover slides I created for a workshop I am giving tomorrow, I created a Gantt chart to show the implementation timeline for the service that was being sold. When you are creating a timeline by hand, it is important to space out the time…