how to create a group powerpoint presentation

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How to collaborate on a microsoft powerpoint presentation.

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Sharing a presentation, collaborating on a presentation.

PowerPoint has some useful features that allow others to make edits or leave feedback on your presentations. You can even coauthor a presentation in real time if you have a  Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) subscription. Here’s how to collaborate with others in PowerPoint.

Before others can work on a presentation with you, you have to share it with them . To do so, open the presentation you want to share, and then click "Share" in the top-right corner.

Related: How to Share Things from OneDrive

A banner will appear in front of your presentation. The first thing to note is the "Share" section. Here, you’ll see the two methods for sharing the presentation, and anyone with whom you've already shared it.

With the "Invite People" method of sharing, you can do the following:

• Type the email addresses of those with whom you’d like to collaborate.
• Leave a note for the recipients.
• Assign Read and Write or Read-Only permissions.
• As an extra layer of security, select whether you want recipients to have a Microsoft account .
• Share your presentation.

If you choose the "Get a Link" option instead, assign Read/Write or Read-Only permissions to whoever receives the link, and then click "Create Link."

Your link will appear.

Once your link has been created, you can share it with whoever you want to collaborate with on your presentation. Keep in mind that anyone who has this link can access your presentation with the privileges you’ve assigned, so be careful who you share it with.

Once you’ve shared your presentation, it’s time to start collaborating. There are several useful tools that make collaboration more efficient. We'll go over them below, so be sure to take full advantage of them.

Who’s Working Where?

PowerPoint shows you who is currently viewing or editing a presentation, as well as which part of it they're working on. When someone's working on a presentation with you, you'll see a thumbnail with that person's name in the top-right corner.

Click the thumbnail to see who it is and which slide he or she is editing. If you want to go to that slide, click "Go to Location."

You'll see the section of the slide on which the other person is working.

You can also see where the other person is at any time in the slide thumbnail view on the left.

Related: How to Collaborate on Documents in Real-Time in Office 2016

Leave Comments for Others

You can also leave comments for the other people you're collaborating with to read at their convenience. To leave a comment, highlight text or an object, and then click "New Comment" in the menu that appears.

Type your comment in the text box, and then click the Arrow icon to leave it.

The next time this person is working on the presentation, she'll see a Message Bubble icon on the slide that contains the comment.

To read a comment, click "Comments" in the top-right corner.

To reply to a comment, just type your response in the text box, and then click the Arrow icon.

Premium Features

PowerPoint also has a few premium features available for collaborators. One of these is real-time chat. Just click the thumbnail of the person you want to chat with, and then select "Chat" from the menu that appears.

This isn't a good replacement for comments, though. No one else can see your chat, and it's deleted as soon as you close the file.

Related: How to Get Microsoft Office for Free

Another neat premium feature is version history. PowerPoint 365 stores every version of your slideshow. This means you can go back and view, restore, and/or download older versions it.

To access this feature, click "File," click "Info" in the pane that appears, and then choose "Previous Versions." This option will be grayed out if you aren't a premium subscriber, though.

Overall, good collaboration on any project boils down to communication. PowerPoint makes this easy for both normal and premium subscribers, although some methods are more streamlined than others.

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How to Group in PowerPoint: The Ultimate Guide

• PowerPoint Tutorials
• Strategies & Opinions
• December 5, 2017

This ultimate guide to grouping will take you from beginning PowerPoint user to advanced PowerPoint user in no time! It covers it all – taking the supposedly boring topic of how to group objects in PowerPoint and showing you just how much is possible! If you are brand new to grouping in PowerPoint, simply scroll down the page and soak it all in. Otherwise, use the table of contents on the left to through the advanced topics.

Table of Contents

How to group in powerpoint.

Grouping allows you to make two or more PowerPoint objects into a single ‘grouped’ object that you can more easily move around and manage on your slide. For example, here’s how you can group pictures together in PowerPoint:

• Simply holding the Shift key down, select your pictures
• Hit Ctrl + G on your keyboard

• Select and Right-Click your objects
• Open the Group command
• Select Group

The same is true if you want to group text or any other PowerPoint objects together. Just be aware that not everything can be part of a group  as detailed here.

Take your PPT skills to the next level

How to rename groups in powerpoint.

Once objects are grouped together, you can make them easier find and work with by naming them within the Selection Pane. That said, keep in mind that this is an OPTIONAL task.

This is only beneficial when you are working with lots of objects on your slide AND naming the individual groups makes sense (like when adding trigger animations like we show you how  here .

Otherwise, renaming your groups in the selection pane is a waste of your time. With that said, here is how to rename your groups in PowerPoint.

1. Open the Selection Pane

2. Notice the groups in the Selection Pane

Within the Selection Pane, you can see any groups of objects that you currently have on your slide (there might not be any).

On my slide I currently have three groups of objects (Group 1, Group 2 and Group 4), none of which are very descriptive of WHAT is actually grouped…so we’ll rename them.

3. Rename your groups

When not to waste time renaming groups

Although naming groups CAN make working with busy slides much easier, I want to point out that you lose your group names whenever you ungroup your objects.

For example, continuing my example above, after naming my group to ‘Product 1’, if I now ungroup that Product 1 group, I will FOREVER lose the ‘Product 1’ name.

If I then group those objects back together again, PowerPoint will go back to a default ‘group’ name, forcing me to rename it again to ‘Product 1’ (assuming I really want that ‘Product 1’ group name for those objects).

As such, if you are just starting to build out your slide and you know you will be frequently grouping and ungrouping objects then heed this advice:

>> THEN DON’T WASTE TIME NAMING YOUR GROUPS. Otherwise, you will unintentionally WASTE a lot of time naming and renaming groups your PowerPoint groups, instead of focusing on the most important aspect of your presentation…your content.

If you are going to name your groups, it’s usually best to do it at the end of your slide design process (unless you are using them for trigger animations as we show you here ) and only invest the time if it actually makes working with your slide easier.

How to Ungroup in PowerPoint

• Right-Click a set of grouped objects
• Select the Group command
• Click Ungroup

Doing so, your group of objects is be broken back into the individual PowerPoint shapes (or smaller subset of groups).

Note: You might need to ungroup your set of objects multiple times to get back to the individual pieces.

PowerPoint objects that cannot be grouped

If you’ve ever tried grouping objects together in PowerPoint and it doesn’t work…then you have just discovered what few people realize… NOT  all PowerPoint objects can be part of a group. Here is a quick list of objects that can  NEVER  be part of a PowerPoint Group, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be ungrouped ( see uncommon objects that can be ungrouped here ).

Amongst the many downfalls of tables in PowerPoint, tables cannot be part of a group (ever). If you decide not to ungroup your table, it’s usually best to first layout your other objects on your slide, and then using the alignment tool, fit the table into the correct position within your layout.

B. SmartArt graphics

Although a special type of PowerPoint group itself, SmartArt graphics themselves cannot be part of a group with other objects, including other SmartArt graphics.

C. Content Placeholders

Content placeholders are defined as anything set on your Slide Master that is editable in the Normal View of your presentation. This includes things like titles, sub-titles, page numbers, etc. These content placeholders cannot be part of a group and there is currently no workaround that I’m aware of. The vast majority of objects can be grouped: Everything else in PowerPoint can be part of a group, including other groups of objects that you have already grouped, pictures, images, charts, shapes, text boxes, vector graphics, etc.

D. Videos, 3D Graphics & other multimedia

Most of the multimedia objects you can insert into PowerPoint cannot be part of a group. For example, if you narrate your PowerPoint presentation or add music, you cannot group those objects as part of your layout.

To learn how to narrate a PowerPoint (with audio and/or video narrations), read our narration guide here .

How to Regroup objects

For example, if you ungroup a group of 32 different objects (a complicated graphic) so you can format some of the individual pieces. To reform the original group, you only need to select 1 of the 32 objects, select regroup and the entire group (including all 32 objects) will reform.

To use the regroup command, you can right-click an object with your mouse, and in the grouping menu option select regroup (Keyboard shortcut CTRL + SHIFT + J ).

Uncommon PPT objects that can be Ungrouped

Now besides ungrouping normal ‘grouped’ objects, there are a variety of other PowerPoint objects that you can ungroup or break apart.

1. Ungrouping tables and charts

How to do it: The trick to ungrouping a table or chart is that you first need to copy and paste it in one of the two Windows MetaFile Formats (which doesn’t work on a Mac).

After copying your object, use the paste special keyboard shortcut ALT + SHIFT + V to open the Paste Special dialog. Within the dialog box, select one of the two MetaFile formats (it doesn’t matter which one), hit okay and your table or chart will paste in as a Metafile picture.

With the picture interested, simply select it and ungroup twice (CTRL + SHIFT + G), and the picture will break apart into shapes, lines and text boxes.

When is this useful: Ungrouping tables and charts is useful in two different scenarios:

#1: You want to create your own unique graphic out of the contents of the table or chart.

For example, instead of using a table as is, you want to break it apart and build your own unique layout without retyping any of the text.

Tables as a normal PowerPoint object cannot directly be animated, and charts as a normal PowerPoint object has limited animation options. Breaking them apart allows you to customize the animation sequences you apply to your tables and charts.

2. Ungrouping SmartArt graphics

How to do it: With a SmartArt graphic selected, simply ungroup twice (CTRL + SHIFT + G on your keyboard) and just like a Metafile, the SmartArt graphic will break down into normal shapes, lines and text boxes.

When is this useful: This is useful when you want to move beyond the limited formatting options of SmartArt.

SmartArt itself is a group of objects in PowerPoint that will automatically resize itself based on the text and shapes you add to it.

Yes, the automatic resizing can be useful when you are first building your graphic, but it can also be annoying when you are trying to finalize your graphic and incorporate it in your layout.

By ungrouping your SmartArt graphic into normal PowerPoint shapes, you have SIGNIFICANTLY more freedom to customize and build your own unique layout.

3. Ungrouping vector graphics

How to do it: With a vector graphic selected, hit ungrouped the ungroup shortcut (CTRL+SHIFT+G) to begin breaking it down into shapes, lines and text boxes that you can customize and animate it as you see fit.

When is this useful: This is useful for customizing or animating  your vector graphic.

Grouping techniques to inverse your layouts

In this advanced grouping trick, I will show you how you can transpose, or inverse your slide layout using a combination of grouping / ungrouping shortcuts and object rotation shortcuts.

And the trick to pulling this off, is recognizing that your PowerPoint objects rotate differently depending on whether they are part of a group, or just individual objects, as you can see in the below video.

Keys to remember about transposing or inversing your layouts: #1: Rotating as a single object –   when objects are part of a group, the entire group will rotate as one single object. #2: Rotating as individual objects – When objects are ungrouped (or not part of a group), each individual object will rotate on its own. Combining these two rules with the grouping (CTRL + G) and ungrouping (CTRL + SHIFT + G) shortcuts, you can quickly flip your layouts, giving you more layout options for your graphics.

When regrouping is a lifesaver

Regrouping is the fastest way to recreate a set of ungrouped objects and we’d LOVE IT if Microsoft made a keyboard shortcut for it as well (fingers crossed).

Now the regrouping critics will say:

“WHO CARES about the regroup command when I can easily just select my two or three PowerPoint objects and use the CTRL + G shortcut to group them.”

Well, if you are only regrouping a couple of objects, I agree.

1. Ungroup a set of objects and make your adjustments

2. Regroup the groups

To regroup your objects, you simply need to select ONE object from each of the previous groups. You DO NOT need to select all of the objects themselves (although that works too if they are easier to grab that way).

In this case I will:

• Select the title rectangles
• Right-click with my mouse
• Select the group command in the right-click menu
• Select Regroup

#1: Your objects previously belonged to a group (you cannot regroup objects back into groups that never existed in the first place).

#2: Your objects were ungrouped while your presentation was open. i.e. if you ungroup a set of objects, close your presentation and reopen it…those objects will not regroup. Regrouping only works in active sessions of PowerPoint.

How to group slides in PowerPoint

Besides being able to group objects in PowerPoint, you can also group slides together into sections.

Once your slides are grouped into sections, you can rename the sections, move slides in and out of those sections, move the sections around within your presentation (thus moving the entire group of slides) and/or print those individual sections.

This is a great technique when splitting up a deck amongst your colleagues to work on, as each of your colleagues can easily print and work with their own group or section of slides.

1. Right-click and add a section

2. Renaming your section

3. Collapsing your sections

Note, if you start your slide groupings after the first slide, anything prior to your first group will automatically be categorized as the ‘Default Section’ as you can see in the picture below.

How to print groups of slides in PowerPoint

The advantage of grouping your slides in PowerPoint is that you can then print those individual groups.

This is useful when working on a specific portion of a presentation, and you want to print only a specific portion of the presentations.

With everything broken into sections, instead of trying to identify a specific range of slides (for example slides 10 through 50), if those slides are grouped into a section, you can simply print that individual section.

To print a specific section, follow these steps below.

To learn how to print multiple slides on one page in PowerPoint, read our guide here .

1. Navigate to the print menu

With the slides in your presentation already broken into groups (see above for how to group slides), hit CTRL + P on your keyboard to navigate to the printing options.

2. Open the print options and select your group

Opening the slide dropdown, you can see a cluster of your grouped sections at the bottom.

NOTE: When printing sections in this way, keep in mind that:

• You can only print one section at a time in this way
• You can only print entire sections…so you can’t pint half of one section and half of another

If you only want to print half of a section or some other range of slides that spans more than one section, you will have to use the ‘Custom Range’ print option and manually type in the slide numbers.

To learn all about how to print PowerPoint with notes, and all the different options you have, see our guide here .

So that’s EVERYTHING you need to know about grouping in PowerPoint and covers just about every PowerPoint object you can and can’t group.

The Group and Ungroup shortcuts are some of the most useful PowerPoint shortcuts, so if you don’t already have them memorized, I recommend adding them to your list.

If you enjoyed the depth of this tutorial and want to learn other PowerPoint tips and tricks, visit us here .

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > How to work on a group presentation

How to work on a group presentation

Working in a group can be a great way to tackle complicated tasks or share unique knowledge. When it comes to illustrating your team’s results to an audience, it can be tricky to navigate how to pace your presentation and who gets to speak, among other factors. Check out these tips for how to start a presentation speech, how to conclude a group presentation, and everything in between.

How to do a group presentation

Some people thrive working in groups , while others prefer to tackle projects by themselves. Balancing all these differing personalities is one of the key skills to ensuring that your presentation goes smoothly:

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Designate roles and presenting order to team strengths

The clearest way to do set presentation roles, and the order of these roles, is to set them early in the process and based upon the strengths of your group members. Designate roles based on certain skillsets and to keep from duplicating efforts. For example, having one or two people work exclusively on designing your PowerPoint presentation can streamline the process. Depending on how long your presentation is, you can assign everyone on your team three to five slides to discuss.

The importance of practicing

In addition, it helps to rehearse your presentation multiple times to iron out any kinks and build confidence. Practice your presentation together as a group so everyone can be prepared in front of your audience. Here, communication is key, scheduling regular meetings and clearly delegating tasks ensure everyone is on the same page.

How to start a group presentation speech

Just like the rest of your presentation, it helps to have just one person speak at a time. Assign the role of introducer to someone on your team. You can also choose to designate someone as the narrator who can both start the presentation, introduce team members, and finish in the conclusion.

Ensure that they clearly state the purpose of your presentation and provide an overview of what you’ll cover. You can also start with a compelling hook or an intriguing question to grab the audience’s attention. Introduce each member of your group and their roles and expertise to establish credibility and cohesion.

How to conclude a group presentation

At the end of your presentation, it helps to summarize the key points of your presentation and reiterate your main message so that your audience can retain as much information as possible. End with a strong closing statement or call to action to leave a lasting impression on your audience. Thank them for their time and invite further discussion or questions.

Mastering the art of group presentations requires effective collaboration, enough time for preparation, and a confident delivery. Play to your group’s strengths, give everyone plenty of time to speak, and value everyone’s contributions equally. Check out more tips for how to create an effective presentation , how to make group projects go smoother , or how to connect with virtual audiences .

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How to Collaborate as a Team on PowerPoint (PPT) Presentations (+Video)

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PowerPoint collaboration helps you to stay in sync and work together. Microsoft has added these features to PowerPoint to help solve problems with shared PowerPoints. Multiple users can work in the same presentation at the same time.

Picture this:

You're working to wrap up a presentation for a class project or work group. You're passing the file back and forth using email or file-sharing and it's hard to stay in sync on the project. Pretty soon, you've got multiple copies of the same file floating around with inconsistent changes.

You may be wondering: can you share a PowerPoint? The answer is yes. Microsoft PowerPoint has added many collaborative, online features in its recent versions.

 In this tutorial, I'll teach you how to use the PowerPoint sharing features to work together on a single PPT file online.

How to Quickly Collaborate on PowerPoint Presentations (Watch & Learn)

In this video, I'll show you how to get started with saving a file to the cloud, as well as working with others on editing the same presentation. You'll learn to invite other users to collaborate and what to expect when working together in PowerPoint.

Keep reading to find out more about how to get started with PowerPoint collaboration, including a totally free option to use Microsoft Office Online.

Microsoft Office, Explained

You might be wondering what's possible when it comes to collaboration. To understand that let's talk a bit about the various versions of Microsoft Office.

Back in the day, Microsoft Office was easy to understand. Every few years, Microsoft would release a new version of Office and labeled it according to the year of release, such as "Excel 2016" or "PowerPoint 2013."

Times are different now though. The apps are updated often. Microsoft is essentially responding to competitors like Google Drive and Dropbox Paper. Here are the various current versions of Office that are available to use:

• Microsoft Office Online . These are the web-browser based versions of the Microsoft Office apps, including PowerPoint. They're free to use , and you can think of them as Microsoft's answer to Google Drive.
• Microsoft Office 365 . Much like Adobe's Creative Cloud, Microsoft now offers a subscription-based model to use the Office suite. Pay a monthly fee, and you'll get access to all the Office apps and consistent updates.
• Microsoft Office Home & Student . This is most like the traditional model, where you pay a one-time fee for the app and have it to use.

All these can work with Office collaboration, but it helps to consider that your collaborators may be using a different version. 

The best news is that  Microsoft Office Online  is available to everyone, for free. This means that anyone can create a Microsoft account and use it to collaborate with other Office users.

Also, you might have heard of Microsoft OneDrive.  This is Microsoft's cloud storage service (think Dropbox.) You'll need OneDrive to save your PowerPoint file for collaboration. You can get 5 gigabytes of OneDrive storage for free with a Microsoft account.

Prepare to Share

Let's dive into collaboration in PowerPoint. A great way to begin is by saving your presentation in OneDrive.

To save a presentation in OneDrive, go to the File > Save As menu in PowerPoint. When the Save As menu appears, click on Online Locations . From the Place dropdown, choose OneDrive . Name your file, then click Save. This will save your presentation to the cloud so that others can collaborate with you.

Now that you've got your file saved, you need to make it a shared PowerPoint. That means you'll need to invite some other users to collaborate with you on the presentation. Find the Share button near the upper right corner and click on it to invite others to your presentation.

Now, you'll see a new window where you can add others to your PowerPoint presentation. From your list of options, click on Invite People . On this menu, you can add the email addresses of your collaborators. 

You can also control how to work on PowerPoint together here. The Can Edit check box controls whether others can make changes. Leave it checked if you want a collaborative editing PowerPoint. But if you want users to see a view-only copy, uncheck it. 

Once you press Share , the recipient will get an email with a link to collaborate on the presentation. Keep adding more users to create a truly collaborative presentation. You're ready to start collaborating with others in the same presentation file.

PowerPoint Team Collaboration Options

How you collaborate with your team in PowerPoint is up to you. This could be as simple as asking someone to visit the link and review it. But there are plenty of options to work inside of the file at the same time.

PowerPoint collaboration is useful if you're working all at once on the same project. For example, you might all be on a videoconference completing changes together. 

First, someone will receive the link and click on it. This opens up Office Online. Again, this is a version of Office that doesn't require downloading an app. 

From here, there are two options. Both are on the Editing dropdown.

• For basic edits, click Editing on the menu. This lets you make changes right inside Office Online.
• But if you need a full suite of features, click Open in Desktop App. This  launches the PowerPoint app if it's installed. 

If you've got a desktop version of PowerPoint, it's your best choice. The full set of features and tools will be available to work with presentations. Office Online is great for viewing and quick edits, but the desktop version delivers more. 

Once the online or desktop app is open, it’s time to get to work. Any changes that you or others make will appear in real time. Office Online defaults to an auto-save option, so the slides save each time they’re changed.

As you work with your global team, there won’t be any delay in the changes becoming visible. This is how to work on PowerPoint together to drive great results.

View PowerPoint Collaborators

Wondering how to collaborate on PowerPoint? It helps to know exactly who’s on your team. When you’re working in the desktop version of PowerPoint, you can click on the Share button again. A list of users and their permissions will appear.

This way, you can track who has access to your shared PowerPoint. You can also tell whether they've got View or Edit access to your slides.

For Office 365 users, there are more options, like chatting with users from the sidebar. You can always click Share to manage who is able to work on the file and change their editing permissions.

No matter which version of PowerPoint you use, collaboration works best with OneDrive. Inviting collaborators within the PowerPoint interface makes it much easier to share. That's always true, no matter which PowerPoint version each of your team members is using. 

Learn More About Making PowerPoint Presentations

How do you collaborate when working with others? Do you like to use PowerPoint's built-in features to share and collaborate, or do you prefer using apps like Dropbox to pass files back and forth?

Outside of collaboration, there are plenty of other great  PowerPoint tutorials on Envato Tuts+ that can help you build your presentation skills. Check out these PPT tutorials to learn more:

Or, browse through our best PowerPoint template designs on Envato Elements and GraphicRiver . They give you plenty of creative slide designs to build a great presentation with quickly. 

Need Help? Grab Our Making Great Presentations eBook (Free)

You can find more information in our eBook on making great presentations . Download this PDF eBook now for FREE with your subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. 

It'll help you master the presentation process, from initial creative ideas, through to writing, design, and delivering with impact.

Collaborating in PowerPoint Made Easy

Many have wondered: can you share a PowerPoint easily? As you can see, the answer is yes. With PowerPoint’s built-in features, you can share slides with the world. This means that your PowerPoint collaboration can span the globe. 

Your team doesn’t even have to have the PowerPoint desktop app. Download one of our premium PowerPoint templates, then use them with PowerPoint collaboration features . Thanks to Office Online, your team can view and make edits from anywhere. This article focused on how easy it is to work together inside PowerPoint.

Editorial Note: This post has been updated with contributions and a video from Andrew Childress . Andrew  is a freelance instructor for Envato Tuts+.

A Guide to Effective Group Presentations + Free Checklist ✨

Picture this, it is the morning of your big group presentation.

You and your team have put in many late nights, working on slides, rehearsing lines, and fine-tuning every detail (if only, sigh). As you gather in the conference room, there’s a mix of nerves and excitement in the air.

You’ve got a solid plan, but there’s ALWAYS that lingering doubt: will everything work according to plan? Will everything go off without a hitch?

We’ve all been there, the anticipation, the hope that all your hard work pays off. Group presentations can be tough to pull off. But with the right strategies, and a bit of know-how, you can transform your next group presentations into a success story.

Most of the challenges surrounding group presentations revolve around navigating the dynamics of a team presentation, and ensuring a smooth, cohesive delivery. This requires careful planning and practice. In this guide, you’ll learn tips and strategies to nail your upcoming group presentation.

How to Get Started on Your Group Presentation

There is a different dynamic to group presentations because different individuals bring with them different ideas. Here are some basics on getting started with group presentations.

Decide How You are Going to Collaborate

First things first. Decide how your team and you are going to collaborate on the presentation material. If you’re using MS Word, you can easily save a document and share its link with team members. And each member can then work on the same document, on the specific subject that they’ve been assigned. Alternatively, you can also use Google Docs.

When it’s time to create the slides, PowerPoint has collaborative features that you can put to good use.

👉 First create a PowerPoint file.

👉 At some point you need to decide what your slides should look like. You can check out SlideBazaar’s choice of presentation themes, or work on slide designs from scratch (which will take more time).

👉 If you’ve already worked on the content for the slides on a Word file, you can divide the work in PowerPoint for each member as well. To do this, go to the outline view on the left, and create sections for each team member:

To create sections, simply right click a slide, and click on Add Section, and name your section. You can even right-click the area between 2 slides to create a section.

Once you’ve created sections, each member can work on the section assigned to them.

👉 But be sure to lay down some ground rules on what kinds of fonts, images, etc. are allowed. This is to maintain a visual consistency across the entire presentation.

👉 Now all you have to do is share the file with your team and let each member work on each slide.

How to Nail the Slideshow Part of Group Presentations

Now when it comes to preparing the content for your group presentation, the slideshow, there are some things that you should keep in mind:

Know Your Audience, Understand the Objective

Before creating content, take a step back and clearly define your target audience and the goals you want to achieve with your group presentation. Tailor your content, language and visuals around them, for a better presentation.

Visual Appeal

Create visually engaging slides that complement your presentation delivery. You can spend time working on the design of your slides, or use templates or themes, like those found on SlideBazaar, to create stunning presentations in no time.

Content Quality

Proofread the content in your slideshows. Make sure your slides are organized well. You may also want to rehearse presenting the entire slideshow, while recording yourself. Watch the recording back to ensure your slideshow has a logical flow, and that the content in your slides is easy to understand.

👉 Pro Tip 1: Never fill your slides with too much text. You are not supposed to read aloud from the slides. These slides are meant to support your presentation. 👉 Pro Tip 2: To ensure seamless sharing and distribution of your presentation after rehearsal and finalization, consider converting your PowerPoint slides to PDF format using an online PPT to PDF converter . This not only preserves the layout and design integrity but also makes it easier to share across different platforms and devices without the need for specific software.

A good rule to follow is Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule. Have less than 10 slides, spend 20 minutes presenting them, and don’t use font sizes smaller than 30 pts. This ensures that your presentation is short, concise, and does not have too much text.

Presentation Delivery – Useful Tips

Nonverbal cues and stage presence.

Pay attention to your posture while presenting. Maintain good posture, and don’t forget to make eye contact with your audience. Use natural hand gestures to emphasize your points.

Speak loud enough for the audience to hear. You can also try varying your tone to keep the audience engaged. Remember, even silent team members that are with you, contribute to the overall impression through their body language and attentiveness. So, make sure you’re all standing with good posture, and look relaxed and confident.

Transitions and Handovers

When presenting as a group, seamless transitions between speakers are crucial. Practice clear handoff cues.

Handoff cues are signals or actions used to coordinate the transfer of responsibility from one person to another. These could be either verbal or non-verbal, and are needed to maintain a smooth flow during your group presentation.

Here are some examples of handoff cues that you can use:

Verbal Cues:

• Introduction: Now, I’ll hand it over to [NAME], who will talk about [TOPIC].
• Summary and lead-in: Now that we’ve covered [TOPIC], I would like to invite [NAME] to expand on [NEXT TOPIC].
• Question prompt: To answer this question, I’ll pass the stage to [NAME].

Non-Verbal Cues:

• Physical gesture: A nod or a smile towards the next speaker.
• Movement: Stepping aside to physically clear up space for the next speaker.
• Eye Contact: Making eye contact with the next speaker to signal it’s their turn.

Visual Cues:

• Props or clicker handoff: Passing the clicker or a relevant prop to the next speaker.

Addressing Questions as a Team

Designate a team member to manage the Q&A session or establish a system for fielding questions. This ensures all inquiries are addressed effectively and avoids confusion for the audience.

Common Challenges You Might Face – And Solutions

Here are some of the most common challenges people usually face with group presentations:

Coordination

Problem: It’s a challenge to coordinate schedules and align everyone’s availability for meetings and rehearsals.  

Solution: One way to fix this problem is to use tools like polls or Google Calendar to find times that work for everyone. If you’re all in one group chat, add a poll, and ask your team members to vote on a time and date that they’re available. Try to finalise a time that everyone’s available, and set regular meeting times and dates in advance to allow team members to plan accordingly.

Communication

Problem: Miscommunication or lack of clarity can lead to confusion among team members and can cause inconsistencies in the final presentation.

Solution: Make sure you establish clear channels of communication, such as a group chat, to facilitate ongoing discussions and updates. Document important decisions and action items in these channels to ensure everyone on your team is on the same page.

Unequal Contribution

Problem: Balancing workload and ensuring everyone contributes can be difficult.

Solution: One of the first things to do, is assign specific roles and responsibilities to each team member to ensure a fair distribution of tasks. There should be regular check-ins with team members to assess progress and address any concerns about workload distribution.

Creative Differences

Problem: Creative differences and disagreements can arise in groups.

Solution: Your meetings can have brainstorming sessions where every team member can openly share ideas and provide feedback. Focus on finding a common ground, and compromise to reach consensus on the decisions you make.

Time Constraints

Problem: Tight deadlines can add pressure, which can impact the quality of the final presentation.

Solution: Break down your presentation project into smaller tasks with clear deadlines . Prioritize tasks based on urgency, and allocate time for regular progress checks to make sure you’re all on track.

Nervousness and Performance Anxiety

Problem: Some members may struggle with anxiety or nervousness, affecting their ability to deliver their parts of the presentation effectively.

Solution: Offer support and encouragement to team members who may be struggling with presentation anxiety. Make sure they get to practice their parts enough. The rest of the team can also pretend to be the audience, if they want to practice in front of people.

Additional Tips for Success

Embrace technology:.

Instead of assigning someone to click through your slides, you can use a clicker, or even a wireless mouse. If you’re using a wireless mouse, make sure you only click through your slides, and do not accidentally move the mouse about.

However, the simplest way I’ve found to move through the slides in your presentation, is to just use your phone. If you have an Android, install PPTControl and its desktop client (search for PPTControl Desktop in the Microsoft Store). Once done, simply connect the app to your device, and you’ll now be able to control the presentation using your phone. It’s super useful!

You can also use other tools like polls, quizzes, and more to keep your audience engaged throughout your presentation.

Time Management:

You should be mindful of the allocated time for your presentation. There’s a quick way to keep track of time during your presentation. You can either do this during rehearsals, or during the actual presentation.

Click on the Windows button on your keyboard and search for “Clock”.

Click on Clock, and in the sidebar of the app, find and click on Stopwatch.

Now just above the stopwatch, click on the Keep on top button.

You now have an onscreen, floating timer. Place it somewhere on the screen as you practice or during your presentation, to keep track of time.

Oh and, one more thing. Here’s a group presentation checklist for you to make sure everything is on track.

Group Presentation Checklist

• Establish clear communication channels for the team.
• Pick a tool (polls, Calendar), to schedule meetings and rehearsals.
• Assign roles and responsibilities.
• Define target audience and presentation goals.
• Tailor your content, language, and visuals (with SlideBazaar themes).
• Create sections in PowerPoint, share it with your team.
• Let members create slides.
• Proofread for errors, and logical flow. Check for visual consistency.
• Rehearse the presentation and record yourselves.
• Practice handoff cues for seamless transition between speakers.
• Decide on a system for handling audience questions.
• Use a clicker or a smartphone app to transition between slides.
• Use tools like polls or quizzes in the presentation to keep your audience engaged.
• Keep track of time with a floating stopwatch.

Well, that’s about it. These were some tips on how you can get started on your group presentations, some best practices on nailing them, and general advice on getting success! I sure hope you found this article helpful, and that your presentation goes well. Why not check out SlideBazaar, you might find a presentation theme or template that might make your slideshow look amazing. Don’t believe me? Have a look for yourself.

Follow us to get free tutorials, PowerPoint slide ideas, and so much more!

At SlideBazaar, we help you create engaging and memorable presentations. Choose from our collection of professional templates or opt for our custom design services for a personalized touch. Your presentations deserve to be elevated to new heights, and we’re here to help you achieve just that!

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How to Work on a PowerPoint with a Group (A Step-by-Step Guide)

In today's collaborative world, creating impactful group PowerPoint presentations requires more than content – it needs teamwork and innovative tools. Many struggle with accessing collective expertise and suitable platforms.

Wondered about group PowerPoint collaboration? Uncertain about user-friendly tools? This article provides solutions, clarifying united presentation creation.

How to Share and Collaborate on a PowerPoint with a Group?

Working together on a PowerPoint presentation is simpler now with Microsoft 365's built-in features.

By saving your presentation on OneDrive or SharePoint, you can smoothly collaborate with your colleagues in real-time, streamlining the process effectively.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to work on a PowerPoint with a group:

Step 1. Prepare Your Presentation

Before collaborating, make sure your presentation is saved to OneDrive or SharePoint. This allows you and your colleagues to access and edit the presentation simultaneously.

Step 2. Open the Presentation for Sharing

Launch PowerPoint and open the presentation you want to collaborate on. When you're ready to share, locate the "Share" button in the top-right corner of the ribbon and click on it.

Step 3. Invite Collaborators

If you haven't already saved your presentation to the cloud, PowerPoint will prompt you. Once that's done, a "Send Link" box will appear. Here, you can enter the email addresses of the people you wish to collaborate with.

You can simply enter their names if you have their contact information saved. The drop-down list lets you choose whether invitees can edit or only view the file.

Step 4. Click Send

After selecting the appropriate sharing settings, click the "Send" button. An email invitation will be sent to your chosen collaborators. The invitation will be sent immediately if your presentation is saved to the cloud.

Step 5. Monitor Collaboration

How to collaborate on a PowerPoint with multiple users? Here's the solution: Open the shared presentation and start editing. As others join, their thumbnails will appear in the top-right corner.

PowerPoint will notify you about their entry or exit. The Share pane shows who's viewing or editing. An indicator on the slide and the slide itself displays collaborators' activity. Hover or select it to identify the editor.

(For easier access, you can enable automatic display of the editor's name by going to File > Options > Advanced > Display > Show presence flags for selected items.)

Step 6. Save Your Progress

Once you're done working, make sure to save your file. This ensures that your changes are recorded and shared with other collaborators.

Step 7. Review Changes

When you reopen the presentation, PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 will notify you of changes made by others while you were away. A small banner will indicate who made the changes, helping you track revisions easily.

Step 8. Co-Authoring

With the file shared, you can collaborate in real time. Under the "Share" tab, you can see who else is working on the file. Colored flags will show you the specific sections each person is editing.

Step 9. Comments and Discussion

To facilitate communication, use the "Review" tab to leave comments or @mention collaborators. You can do this by selecting "Comment" or "New" if the Comments pane is open.

Type your comment, @mention a collaborator if needed, and press Enter. You can also reply to comments by selecting "Reply" and typing your response. To navigate between comments and slides, use "See more comments."

This is how you can make PowerPoint presentations editable by multiple users.

How to Unshare a Presentation in PowerPoint?

Collaborating on a PowerPoint presentation is a powerful tool, but there may come a time when you need to revoke access and unshare the presentation. Whether you've completed the collaborative process or need to limit access, unsharing can help maintain control over your content.

Here's a guide on how to unshare a presentation in PowerPoint:

Step 1. Open Your Presentation

Launch PowerPoint and open the presentation that you wish to unshare. Ensure you're logged in to your Microsoft account.

Step 2. Access Sharing Options

Navigate to the "Share" tab, typically located in the top-right corner of the ribbon. Here, you'll find a range of sharing and collaboration options.

Step 3. Manage Access

Look for an option that allows you to manage access to the presentation. Depending on the version of PowerPoint you're using, this option might be labeled as "Manage Access," "Permissions," or something similar.

Step 4. Revoke Access

Within the access management menu, locate the list of collaborators who have access to the presentation. Identify the user or users you want to unshare the presentation from.

Step 5. Remove Access

For each user, you wish to unshare the presentation from, select their name or email address. Look for an option that allows you to remove or revoke their access. Confirm your action when prompted.

Step 6. Confirm Changes

Review the list of collaborators to ensure that the individuals you wanted to unshare the presentation from no longer have access. Double-check your changes before proceeding.

Step 7. It’s done!

That’s it. It’s done! Pretty simple, right?

By following these steps, you can effectively unshare a presentation in PowerPoint, maintaining control over who has access to your collaborative work. Whether your collaboration has concluded or access needs to be limited, this process ensures your content remains secure and in your hands.

How to Ungroup an Object in PowerPoint?

Ungrouping an object in PowerPoint allows you to break apart a group of elements into their individual components. Here's how you can ungroup objects:

Step 1. Select the group of objects you want to ungroup:

Click and drag to select all the objects that are grouped together.

Step 2. Ungroup the objects

Right-click on the selected group of objects.

From the context menu that appears, hover over "Group" and then click "Ungroup."

Alternatively, you might see "Group" directly on the Ribbon under the "Format" or "Drawing Tools" tab. Click on the dropdown arrow next to "Group" and select "Ungroup."

Step 3. Regrouping (if necessary):

After ungrouping, you'll have individual objects. To group them again, select the objects you want to group. Follow the same steps as above, but this time select "Group" instead of "Ungroup."

Please note that the exact location of the "Ungroup" option might vary based on the version of PowerPoint you're using. The steps provided are based on the general approach in PowerPoint 2016 and later versions.

How to Rename a PowerPoint Presentation

Here's a user-friendly guide to help you effortlessly rename powerpoint presentations:.

1. Open the Presentation

2. Click on File

3. Click on ‘Save As.’

4.Click Rename

5. Type the new name

6. Hit Enter!

By following these steps, you'll be able to rename any PowerPoint presentation.

Best Alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint - WPS Office

In the domain of office productivity software, Microsoft Office has historically been the leader, featuring applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint .

However, the situation is changing due to the increasing demand for affordable options and cloud-based features. Here comes WPS Office, an emerging standout among free alternatives that's gaining prominence.

Why Choose WPS Office?

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WPS Office is a breath of fresh air for those seeking powerful software without the price tag. With its free version, you can access many essential features that cater to your document creation, number crunching, presentation, and PDF needs.

Compatibility at its Core

One of WPS Office's standout features is its seamless compatibility with Microsoft Office's powerhouse features, intricate formulas, and even those complex macros you've come to rely on. This ensures a smooth transition for those who are accustomed to Microsoft's tools, making your shift to WPS Office a breeze. Formulas in Microsoft Excel can smoothly function with WPS Spreadsheet.

A Suite of Capabilities

WPS Office isn't just about offering an alternative to one application – it's an all-in-one package.

From Writer, which takes on Microsoft Word, to Spreadsheet, a worthy counterpart to Excel, formulas in Microsoft Excel can smoothly function with WPS Spreadsheet. And finally, Presentation, your go-to for creating engaging slides, has WPS Office covered.

And for those dealing with PDFs, an editor supports reading, annotation, and conversion – with advanced features available for a fee.

As you explore your options in the world of office software, remember that WPS Office is more than just an alternative – it's a robust suite that keeps pace with your productivity needs while championing compatibility and accessibility.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. how do i restrict changes to powerpoint presentations.

A. You can restrict changes in PowerPoint by using the "Mark as Final" option, which makes the presentation read-only and prevents editing prompts.

Q. How do I group and align in PowerPoint?

A. To group objects, select them and right-click to choose "Group." Use the "Align" option under the "Format" or "Drawing Tools" tab to align objects precisely.

Q. How to share a PowerPoint presentation as a link?

A. In the upper right corner, click the Share icon and then click Copy Link. If the file is on your device, you'll be asked to upload the file to the cloud first. Paste the link wherever you need it.

In this article, we've provided a thorough guide on collaborating to create a PowerPoint presentation. We've covered inviting colleagues, monitoring progress, and ending sharing.

Throughout, WPS Office has emerged as an excellent choice—compatible, practical, and budget-friendly. As productivity methods evolve, WPS Office stands out as a user-friendly collaborative solution.

• 1. How to Group Duplicates in Excel(step-by-step)
• 2. How to Group Shapes in PowerPoint (The Ultimate Guide)
• 3. How to Group Objects in PowerPoint Effectively (In Easy Steps)
• 4. How to Group Rows in Google Sheets? (A Step-By-Step Guide)
• 5. How to Group Shapes in WPS Word Document: A Step-by-Step Guide
• 6. How to Group by Rows in Excel (A Step by Step Guide)

15 years of office industry experience, tech lover and copywriter. Follow me for product reviews, comparisons, and recommendations for new apps and software.

Home Blog Presentation Ideas 23 PowerPoint Presentation Tips for Creating Engaging and Interactive Presentations

23 PowerPoint Presentation Tips for Creating Engaging and Interactive Presentations

PowerPoint presentations are not usually known for being engaging or interactive. That’s often because most people treat their slides as if they are notes to read off  and not a tool to help empower their message.

Your presentation slides are there to help bring to life the story you are telling. They are there to provide visuals and empower your speech.

So how do you go about avoiding a presentation “snoozefest” and instead ensure you have an engaging and interactive presentation?  By making sure that you use your slides to help YOU tell your story, instead of using them as note cards to read off of.

The key thing to remember is that your presentation is there to compliment your speech, not be its focus.

In this article, we will review several presentation tips and tricks on how to become a storytelling powerhouse by building a powerful and engaging PowerPoint presentation.

Start with writing your speech outline, not with putting together slides

Use more images and less text, use high-quality images, keep the focus on you and your presentation, not the powerpoint, your presentation should be legible from anywhere in the room, use a consistent presentation design, one topic per slide, avoid information overwhelm by using the “rule of three”.

• Display one bullet at a time

Avoid unnecessary animations

• Only add content that supports your main points
• Do not use PowerPoint as a teleprompter
• Never Give Out Copies of the Presentation

Re-focus the attention on you by fading into blackness

Change the tone of your voice when presenting, host an expert discussion panel, ask questions, embed videos, use live polling to get instant feedback and engage the audience.

• He kept his slides uncluttered and always strived for simplicity
• He was known to use large font size, the bigger, the better.
• He found made the complex sound simple.

He was known to practice, practice, and keep on practicing.

Summary – how to make your presentation engaging & interactive, fundamental rules to build powerful & engaging presentation slides.

Before we go into tips and tricks on how to add flair to your presentations and create effective presentations, it’s essential to get the fundamentals of your presentation right.

Your PowerPoint presentation is there to compliment your message, and the story you are telling. Before you can even put together slides, you need to identify the goal of your speech, and the key takeaways you want your audience to remember.

YOU and your speech are the focus of this presentation, not the slides – use your PowerPoint to complement your story.

Keep in mind that your slides are there to add to your speech, not distract from it.  Using too much text in your slides can be distracting and confusing to your audience. Instead, use a relevant picture with minimal text, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

This slide is not unusual, but is not a visual aid, it is more like an “eye chart”.

Aim for something simpler, easy to remember and concise, like the slides below.

Keep in mind your audience when designing your presentation, their background and aesthetics sense. You will want to avoid the default clip art and cheesy graphics on your slides.

While presenting make sure to control the presentation and the room by walking around, drawing attention to you and what you are saying.  You should occasionally stand still when referencing a slide, but never turn your back to your audience to read your slide.

You and your speech are the presentations; the slides are just there to aid you.

Most season presenters don’t use anything less than twenty-eight point font size, and even Steve Jobs was known to use nothing smaller than forty-point text fonts.

If you can’t comfortably fit all the text on your slide using 28 font size than you’re trying to say and cram too much into the slide, remember tip #1.4 – Use relevant images instead and accompany it with bullets.

Best Practice PowerPoint Presentation Tips

The job of your presentation is to help convey information as efficiently and clearly as possible. By keeping the theme and design consistent, you’re allowing the information and pictures to stand out.

However, by varying the design from slide to slide, you will be causing confusion and distraction from the focus, which is you and the information to be conveyed on the slide.

Technology can also help us in creating a consistent presentation design just by picking a topic and selecting a sample template style. This is possible thanks to the SlideModel’s AI slideshow maker .

Each slide should try to represent one topic or talking point. The goal is to keep the attention focused on your speech, and by using one slide per talking point, you make it easy for you to prepare, as well as easy for your audience to follow along with your speech.

Sometimes when creating our presentation, we can often get in our heads and try to over-explain. A simple way to avoid this is to follow the “Rule of Three,” a concept coined by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle.

The idea is to stick to only 3 main ideas that will help deliver your point.  Each of the ideas can be further broken into 3 parts to explain further. The best modern example of this “Rule of Three” can be derived from the great Apple presentations given by Steve Jobs – they were always structured around the “Rule of Three.”

Display one sentence at a time

If you are planning to include text in your slides, try to avoid bullet lists, and use one slide per sentence. Be short and concise. This best practice focuses on the idea that simple messages are easy to retain in memory. Also, each slide can follow your storytelling path, introducing the audience to each concept while you speak, instead of listing everything beforehand.

Presentation Blunders To Avoid

In reality, there is no need for animations or transitions in your slides.

It’s great to know how to turn your text into fires or how to create a transition with sparkle effects, but the reality is the focus should be on the message. Using basic or no transitions lets the content of your presentation stand out, rather than the graphics.

If you plan to use animations, make sure to use modern and professional animations that helps the audience follow the story you are telling, for example when explaining time series or changing events over time.

Only add engaging content that supports your main points

You might have a great chart, picture or even phrase you want to add, but when creating every slide, it’s crucial to ask yourself the following question.

“Does this slide help support my main point?”

If the answer is no, then remove it.  Remember, less is more.

Do not use PowerPoint as a Teleprompter

A common crutch for rookie presenters is to use slides as their teleprompter.

First of all, you shouldn’t have that much text on your slides. If you have to read off something, prepare some index cards that fit in your hand but at all costs do not turn your back on your audience and read off of your PowerPoint.  The moment you do that, you make the presentation the focus, and lose the audience as the presenter.

Avoid Giving Out Copies of the Presentation

At least not before you deliver a killer presentation; providing copies of your presentation gives your audience a possible distraction where they can flip through the copy and ignore what you are saying.

It’s also easy for them to take your slides out of context without understanding the meaning behind each slide.  It’s OK to give a copy of the presentation, but generally it is better to give the copies AFTER you have delivered your speech. If you decide to share a copy of your presentation, the best way to do it is by  generating a QR code  for it and placing it at the end of your presentation. Those who want a copy can simply scan and download it onto their phones.

Tips To Making Your Presentation More Engaging

The point of your presentation is to help deliver a message.

When expanding on a particularly important topic that requires a lengthy explanation it’s best to fade the slide into black.  This removes any distraction from the screen and re-focuses it on you, the present speaker. Some presentation devices have a built-in black screen button, but if they don’t, you can always prepare for this by adding a black side to your presentation at the right moment.

“It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.”

Part of making your presentation engaging is to use all the tools at your disposal to get your point across. Changing the inflection and tone of your voice as you present helps make the content and the points more memorable and engaging.

One easy and powerful way to make your presentation interactive is experts to discuss a particular topic during your presentation. This helps create a more engaging presentation and gives you the ability to facilitate and lead a discussion around your topic.

It’s best to prepare some questions for your panel but to also field questions from the audience in a question and answer format.

How To Make Your Presentation More Interactive

What happens if I ask you to think about a pink elephant?  You probably briefly think about a pink elephant, right?

Asking questions when presenting helps engage the audience, and arouse interest and curiosity.  It also has the added benefit of making people pay closer attention, in case they get called on.

So don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if rhetorical; asking a question engages a different part of our brain. It causes us to reflect rather than merely take in the information one way. So ask many of them.

Asking questions can also be an excellent way to build suspense for the next slide.

(Steve Jobs was known to ask questions during his presentations, in this slide he built suspense by asking the audience “Is there space for a device between a cell phone and a laptop?” before revealing the iPad) Source: MacWorld SF 2018

Remember the point of your presentation is to get a message across and although you are the presenter, it is completely fine to use video in your PowerPoint to enhance your presentation.  A relevant video can give you some breathing time to prepare the next slides while equally informing the audience on a particular point.

CAUTION: Be sure to test the video beforehand, and that your audience can hear it in the room.

A trending engagement tool among presenters is to use a live polling tool to allow the audience to participate and collect immediate feedback.

Using a live polling tool is a fun and interactive way to engage your audience in real-time and allow them to participate in part of your presentation.

Google Slides has a built-in Q&A feature that allows presenters to make the slide deck more interactive by providing answers to the audience’s questions. By using the Q&A feature in Google Slides, presenters can start a live Q&A session and people can ask questions directly from their devices including mobile and smartphones.

Key Takeaways from one of the best presenters, Steve Jobs

He kept his slides uncluttered and always strove for simplicity.

In this slide, you can easily see he is talking about the battery life, and it uses a simple image and a few words. Learning from Jobs, you can also make a great presentation too. Focus on the core benefit of your product and incorporate great visuals.

Source: Macworld 2008

SlideModel.com can help to reproduce high-impact slides like these, keeping your audience engagement.

He was known to use large font sizes, the bigger, the better

A big font makes it hard to miss the message on the slide, and allows the audience to focus on the presenter while clearing the understanding what the point of the slide is.

He found made the complex sound simple

When explaining a list of features, he used a simple image and lines or simple tables to provide visual cues to his talking points.

What made Steve Jobs the master of presentation, was the ritual of practicing with his team, and this is simple yet often overlooked by many presenters.  It’s easy to get caught in the trap of thinking you don’t need to practice because you know the material so well.

While all these tips will help you create a truly powerful presentation , it can only achieve if applied correctly.

It’s important to remember when trying to deliver an amazing experience, you should be thoroughly prepared. This way, you can elevate your content presentation, convey your message effectively and captivate your audience.

This includes having your research cited, your presentation rehearsed.  Don’t just rehearse your slides, also take time to practice your delivery, and your tone.  The more you rehearse, the more relaxed you will be when delivering. The more confident you will feel.

While we can’t help you with the practice of your next presentation, we can help you by making sure you look good, and that you have a great design and cohesiveness.

You focus on the message and content; we’ll focus on making you look good.

Have a tip you would like to include?  Be sure to mention it in the comments!

Like this article? Please share

Audience, Engaging, Feedback, Interactive, Poll, Rule of Three, Steve Jobs Filed under Presentation Ideas

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2 Responses to “23 PowerPoint Presentation Tips for Creating Engaging and Interactive Presentations”

Very great advices!

Greetings ! A compact composed communication for the host to have an impact -VOICE

Thank You ?

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How to Group Objects in PowerPoint

Group pictures and shapes in presentations

• University of Maine

Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA-certified technologist with more than 10 years of experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.

• Wichita Technical Institute

What to Know

• Select the objects you want to group and press Ctrl-G on the keyboard.
• Select the objects, then right-click on any of them and select Group from the menu.
• Or select Home from the menu, then Arrange in the Drawing section of the ribbon—select Group from the dropdown menu.

In this article, you'll learn several ways to group objects in PowerPoint, using either keyboard shortcuts or the menu. The following methods to group objects in PowerPoint work in Microsoft PowerPoint 2013, 2016, 2019, and 365.

When creating a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, it can be helpful to group objects. Creating groups lets you manipulate all of them as a single group. The ribbon options described may display differently in different versions, but the process is the same.

The fastest way to group objects in PowerPoint is with a keyboard shortcut. First, hold the Ctrl key and use the mouse to select all of the objects you want to group one at a time.

Once all objects are selected, press Ctrl + G . All selected objects will become a single object that you can move, nudge, rotate, or otherwise manipulate the grouped object like you would a single object.

You can ungroup this selection by selecting the grouped object and pressing Ctrl + Shift + G on the keyboard.

Use the same process above to select all objects you want to group. Then, right-click one of the objects, select Group from the dropdown menu, and choose Group from the sub-menu. Doing this will create a single grouped box around all selected objects.

You can use this same process to ungroup any objects you've grouped by repeating the process above and selecting Ungroup from the submenu.

You can also find the option to group objects in the ribbon. To do this, hold down the Ctrl button to select all of the objects you want to group. Then select Home from the menu and select Arrange in the Drawing section of the ribbon—select Group from the dropdown menu.

Ungroup the objects by selecting Arrange in the Drawing section of the ribbon and then choosing Ungroup from the dropdown menu.

Any time you've grouped objects, you can still edit or modify the individual objects in the group. To do this, use the left mouse key to select the group. Then click the object inside the group to select it. Now you can resize or move it, or right-click and use the context menu for just that object.

If you've used any of the ungroup methods mentioned above to ungroup a previously created group, you can recreate it using a simple step. Just right-click any of the objects that were part of that previous group, select Group from the dropdown menu, and then select Regroup from the submenu. PowerPoint remembers the last group you created with that object and will recreate that group for you.

Hold the Control key to select the images you want to resize. Then, click on one of the handles on one of the images and drag it down or up. All the images in the group will change size in scale with the other images. To make them all the same size, go to Picture Tools > Format and enter the height and width you want.

Select the objects in your PowerPoint slide that you want to align. Select Format > Align and then choose how to align them: Align Left , Align Center , or Align Right . You can also select Alight Top , Align Middle , or Align Bottom . Other options are Distribute Horizontally or Distribute Vertically .

There are several reasons why you may not be able to group objects in PowerPoint. First, you may have selected only one object. You need at least two objects for a group. Or, one of the objects could be a placeholder; you can't group placeholders with objects in PowerPoint. Also, tables and embedded worksheets can't be grouped with other object types.

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Simple Steps to Make a PowerPoint Presentation

Last Updated: July 23, 2024 Fact Checked

Creating a New PowerPoint

Creating the title slide, adding a new slide, adding content to slides, adding transitions, testing and saving your presentation.

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA . Darlene Antonelli is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Darlene has experience teaching college courses, writing technology-related articles, and working hands-on in the technology field. She earned an MA in Writing from Rowan University in 2012 and wrote her thesis on online communities and the personalities curated in such communities. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 4,347,923 times. Learn more...

Do you want to have your data in a slide show? If you have Microsoft 365, you can use PowerPoint! PowerPoint is a program that's part of the Microsoft Office suite (which you have to pay for) and is available for both Windows and Mac computers. This wikiHow teaches you how to create your own Microsoft PowerPoint presentation on a computer.

How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation

• Open the PowerPoint app, select a template and theme, then like “Create.”
• Click the text box to add your title and subtitle to create your title slide.
• Click the “Insert” tab, then “New Slide” to add another slide.
• Choose the type of slide you want to add, then add text and pictures.
• Rearrange slides by dragging them up or down in the preview box.

Things You Should Know

• Templates make it easy to create vibrant presentations no matter your skill level.
• When adding photos, you can adjust their sizes by clicking and dragging in or out from their corners.
• You can add animated transitions between slides or to individual elements like bullet points and blocks of text.

• If you don't have a Microsoft Office 365 subscription, you can use the website instead of the desktop app. Go to https://powerpoint.office.com/ to use the website version.
• You can also use the mobile app to make presentations, though it's easier to do this on a computer, which has a larger screen, a mouse, and a keyboard.

• If you don't want to use a template, just click the Blank option in the upper-left side of the page and skip to the next part.

• Skip this step if your selected template has no themes available.

• If you're creating a PowerPoint presentation for which an elaborate title slide has been requested, ignore this step.

• You can change the font and size of text used from the Home tab that's in the orange ribbon at the top of the window.

• You can also just leave this box blank if you like.

• You can also click and drag in or out one of a text box's corners to shrink or enlarge the text box.

• On a Mac, you'll click the Home tab instead. [1] X Research source

• Clicking the white slide-shaped box above this option will result in a new text slide being inserted.

• Title Slide
• Title and Content
• Section Header
• Two Content
• Content with Caption
• Picture with Caption

• Naturally, the title slide should be the first slide in your presentation, meaning that it should be the top slide in the left-hand column.

• Skip this step and the next two steps if your selected slide uses a template that doesn't have text boxes in it.

• Text boxes in PowerPoint will automatically format the bulk of your text for you (e.g., adding bullet points) based on the context of the content itself.
• You can add notes that the Presentation will not include (but you'll still be able to see them on your screen) by clicking Notes at the bottom of the slide.

• You can change the font of the selected text by clicking the current font's name and then clicking your preferred font.
• If you want to change the size of the text, click the numbered drop-down box and then click a larger or smaller number based on whether you want to enlarge or shrink the text.
• You can also change the color, bolding, italicization, underlining, and so on from here.

• Photos in particular can be enlarged or shrunk by clicking and dragging out or in one of their corners.

• Remember to keep slides uncluttered and relatively free of distractions. It's best to keep the amount of text per slide to around 33 words or less. [2] X Research source

• Slide content will animate in the order in which you assign transitions. For example, if you animate a photo on the slide and then animate the title, the photo will appear before the title.
• Make your slideshow progress automatically by setting the speed of every transition to align with your speech as well as setting each slide to Advance . [3] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source

• If you need to exit the presentation, press Esc .

• Windows - Click File , click Save , double-click This PC , select a save location, enter a name for your presentation, and click Save .
• Mac - Click File , click Save As... , enter the presentation's name in the "Save As" field, select a save location by clicking the "Where" box and clicking a folder, and click Save .

Community Q&A

• If you save your PowerPoint presentation in .pps format instead of the default .ppt format, double-clicking your PowerPoint presentation file will prompt the presentation to open directly into the slideshow view. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 0
• If you don't have Microsoft Office, you can still use Apple's Keynote program or Google Slides to create a PowerPoint presentation. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Your PowerPoint presentation (or some features in it) may not open in significantly older versions of PowerPoint. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 2
• Great PowerPoint presentations avoid placing too much text on one slide. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=DBDCE00C929AA5D8!252&ithint=file%2cpptx&app=PowerPoint&authkey=!AH4O9NxcbehqzIg
• ↑ https://www.virtualsalt.com/powerpoint.htm
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/set-the-timing-and-speed-of-a-transition-c3c3c66f-4cca-4821-b8b9-7de0f3f6ead1#:~:text=To%20make%20the%20slide%20advance,effect%20on%20the%20slide%20finishes .

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

by Guy Kawasaki

Summary .   

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

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Blog Beginner Guides How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

Written by: Krystle Wong Jul 20, 2023

A top-notch presentation possesses the power to drive action. From winning stakeholders over and conveying a powerful message to securing funding — your secret weapon lies within the realm of creating an effective presentation .  

Being an excellent presenter isn’t confined to the boardroom. Whether you’re delivering a presentation at work, pursuing an academic career, involved in a non-profit organization or even a student, nailing the presentation game is a game-changer.

In this article, I’ll cover the top qualities of compelling presentations and walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to give a good presentation. Here’s a little tip to kick things off: for a headstart, check out Venngage’s collection of free presentation templates . They are fully customizable, and the best part is you don’t need professional design skills to make them shine!

These valuable presentation tips cater to individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, encompassing business professionals, sales and marketing teams, educators, trainers, students, researchers, non-profit organizations, public speakers and presenters. 

No matter your field or role, these tips for presenting will equip you with the skills to deliver effective presentations that leave a lasting impression on any audience.

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

Step-by-step guide on how to prepare an effective presentation, 9 effective techniques to deliver a memorable presentation, faqs on making a good presentation, how to create a presentation with venngage in 5 steps.

When it comes to giving an engaging presentation that leaves a lasting impression, it’s not just about the content — it’s also about how you deliver it. Wondering what makes a good presentation? Well, the best presentations I’ve seen consistently exhibit these 10 qualities:

1. Clear structure

No one likes to get lost in a maze of information. Organize your thoughts into a logical flow, complete with an introduction, main points and a solid conclusion. A structured presentation helps your audience follow along effortlessly, leaving them with a sense of satisfaction at the end.

Regardless of your presentation style , a quality presentation starts with a clear roadmap. Browse through Venngage’s template library and select a presentation template that aligns with your content and presentation goals. Here’s a good presentation example template with a logical layout that includes sections for the introduction, main points, supporting information and a conclusion: 

2. Engaging opening

Hook your audience right from the start with an attention-grabbing statement, a fascinating question or maybe even a captivating anecdote. Set the stage for a killer presentation!

The opening moments of your presentation hold immense power – check out these 15 ways to start a presentation to set the stage and captivate your audience.

3. Relevant content

Make sure your content aligns with their interests and needs. Your audience is there for a reason, and that’s to get valuable insights. Avoid fluff and get straight to the point, your audience will be genuinely excited.

4. Effective visual aids

Picture this: a slide with walls of text and tiny charts, yawn! Visual aids should be just that—aiding your presentation. Opt for clear and visually appealing slides, engaging images and informative charts that add value and help reinforce your message.

With Venngage, visualizing data takes no effort at all. You can import data from CSV or Google Sheets seamlessly and create stunning charts, graphs and icon stories effortlessly to showcase your data in a captivating and impactful way.

5. Clear and concise communication

Keep your language simple, and avoid jargon or complicated terms. Communicate your ideas clearly, so your audience can easily grasp and retain the information being conveyed. This can prevent confusion and enhance the overall effectiveness of the message. 

6. Engaging delivery

Spice up your presentation with a sprinkle of enthusiasm! Maintain eye contact, use expressive gestures and vary your tone of voice to keep your audience glued to the edge of their seats. A touch of charisma goes a long way!

7. Interaction and audience engagement

Turn your presentation into an interactive experience — encourage questions, foster discussions and maybe even throw in a fun activity. Engaged audiences are more likely to remember and embrace your message.

Transform your slides into an interactive presentation with Venngage’s dynamic features like pop-ups, clickable icons and animated elements. Engage your audience with interactive content that lets them explore and interact with your presentation for a truly immersive experience.

8. Effective storytelling

Who doesn’t love a good story? Weaving relevant anecdotes, case studies or even a personal story into your presentation can captivate your audience and create a lasting impact. Stories build connections and make your message memorable.

A great presentation background is also essential as it sets the tone, creates visual interest and reinforces your message. Enhance the overall aesthetics of your presentation with these 15 presentation background examples and captivate your audience’s attention.

9. Well-timed pacing

Pace your presentation thoughtfully with well-designed presentation slides, neither rushing through nor dragging it out. Respect your audience’s time and ensure you cover all the essential points without losing their interest.

10. Strong conclusion

Last impressions linger! Summarize your main points and leave your audience with a clear takeaway. End your presentation with a bang , a call to action or an inspiring thought that resonates long after the conclusion.

In-person presentations aside, acing a virtual presentation is of paramount importance in today’s digital world. Check out this guide to learn how you can adapt your in-person presentations into virtual presentations . 

Preparing an effective presentation starts with laying a strong foundation that goes beyond just creating slides and notes. One of the quickest and best ways to make a presentation would be with the help of a good presentation software . 

Otherwise, let me walk you to how to prepare for a presentation step by step and unlock the secrets of crafting a professional presentation that sets you apart.

1. Understand the audience and their needs

Before you dive into preparing your masterpiece, take a moment to get to know your target audience. Tailor your presentation to meet their needs and expectations , and you’ll have them hooked from the start!

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

Time to hit the books (or the internet)! Don’t skimp on the research with your presentation materials — dive deep into the subject matter and gather valuable insights . The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel in delivering your presentation.

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

No one wants to stumble through a chaotic mess of information. Outline your presentation with a clear and logical flow. Start with a captivating introduction, follow up with main points that build on each other and wrap it up with a powerful conclusion that leaves a lasting impression.

Delivering an effective business presentation hinges on captivating your audience, and Venngage’s professionally designed business presentation templates are tailor-made for this purpose. With thoughtfully structured layouts, these templates enhance your message’s clarity and coherence, ensuring a memorable and engaging experience for your audience members.

Don’t want to build your presentation layout from scratch? pick from these 5 foolproof presentation layout ideas that won’t go wrong. 

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

Spice up your presentation with eye-catching visuals! Create slides that complement your message, not overshadow it. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, but that doesn’t mean you need to overload your slides with text.

Well-chosen designs create a cohesive and professional look, capturing your audience’s attention and enhancing the overall effectiveness of your message. Here’s a list of carefully curated PowerPoint presentation templates and great background graphics that will significantly influence the visual appeal and engagement of your presentation.

5. Practice, practice and practice

Practice makes perfect — rehearse your presentation and arrive early to your presentation to help overcome stage fright. Familiarity with your material will boost your presentation skills and help you handle curveballs with ease.

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and seek feedback from friends and colleagues. Constructive criticism can help you identify blind spots and fine-tune your presentation to perfection.

With Venngage’s real-time collaboration feature , receiving feedback and editing your presentation is a seamless process. Group members can access and work on the presentation simultaneously and edit content side by side in real-time. Changes will be reflected immediately to the entire team, promoting seamless teamwork.

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

Prepare for the unexpected by checking your equipment, internet connection and any other potential hiccups. If you’re worried that you’ll miss out on any important points, you could always have note cards prepared. Remember to remain focused and rehearse potential answers to anticipated questions.

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

As the big day approaches, give your presentation one last shine. Review your talking points, practice how to present a presentation and make any final tweaks. Deep breaths — you’re on the brink of delivering a successful presentation!

In competitive environments, persuasive presentations set individuals and organizations apart. To brush up on your presentation skills, read these guides on how to make a persuasive presentation and tips to presenting effectively . 

Whether you’re an experienced presenter or a novice, the right techniques will let your presentation skills soar to new heights!

From public speaking hacks to interactive elements and storytelling prowess, these 9 effective presentation techniques will empower you to leave a lasting impression on your audience and make your presentations unforgettable.

1. Confidence and positive body language

Positive body language instantly captivates your audience, making them believe in your message as much as you do. Strengthen your stage presence and own that stage like it’s your second home! Stand tall, shoulders back and exude confidence. 

2. Eye contact with the audience

Break down that invisible barrier and connect with your audience through their eyes. Maintaining eye contact when giving a presentation builds trust and shows that you’re present and engaged with them.

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

A little movement goes a long way! Emphasize key points with purposeful gestures and don’t be afraid to walk around the stage. Your energy will be contagious!

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

Weave the magic of storytelling into your presentation. Share relatable anecdotes, inspiring success stories or even personal experiences that tug at the heartstrings of your audience. Adjust your pitch, pace and volume to match the emotions and intensity of the story. Varying your speaking voice adds depth and enhances your stage presence.

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

Spice up your presentation with a dash of visual pizzazz! Use slides, images and video clips to add depth and clarity to your message. Just remember, less is more—don’t overwhelm them with information overload. 

Turn your presentations into an interactive party! Involve your audience with questions, polls or group activities. When they actively participate, they become invested in your presentation’s success. Bring your design to life with animated elements. Venngage allows you to apply animations to icons, images and text to create dynamic and engaging visual content.

6. Utilize humor strategically

Laughter is the best medicine—and a fantastic presentation enhancer! A well-placed joke or lighthearted moment can break the ice and create a warm atmosphere , making your audience more receptive to your message.

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

Be attentive to your audience’s reactions and feedback. If they have questions or concerns, address them with genuine interest and respect. Your responsiveness builds rapport and shows that you genuinely care about their experience.

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

Apply the 10-20-30 presentation rule and keep it short, sweet and impactful! Stick to ten slides, deliver your presentation within 20 minutes and use a 30-point font to ensure clarity and focus. Less is more, and your audience will thank you for it!

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

Simplicity is key. Limit each slide to five bullet points, with only five words per bullet point and allow each slide to remain visible for about five seconds. This rule keeps your presentation concise and prevents information overload.

Simple presentations are more engaging because they are easier to follow. Summarize your presentations and keep them simple with Venngage’s gallery of simple presentation templates and ensure that your message is delivered effectively across your audience.

1. How to start a presentation?

To kick off your presentation effectively, begin with an attention-grabbing statement or a powerful quote. Introduce yourself, establish credibility and clearly state the purpose and relevance of your presentation.

2. How to end a presentation?

For a strong conclusion, summarize your talking points and key takeaways. End with a compelling call to action or a thought-provoking question and remember to thank your audience and invite any final questions or interactions.

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

To make your presentation interactive, encourage questions and discussion throughout your talk. Utilize multimedia elements like videos or images and consider including polls, quizzes or group activities to actively involve your audience.

In need of inspiration for your next presentation? I’ve got your back! Pick from these 120+ presentation ideas, topics and examples to get started. 

Creating a stunning presentation with Venngage is a breeze with our user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and professionally designed templates for all your communication needs. 

Here’s how to make a presentation in just 5 simple steps with the help of Venngage:

Step 1: Sign up for Venngage for free using your email, Gmail or Facebook account or simply log in to access your account. 

Step 2: Pick a design from our selection of free presentation templates (they’re all created by our expert in-house designers).

Step 3: Make the template your own by customizing it to fit your content and branding. With Venngage’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor, you can easily modify text, change colors and adjust the layout to create a unique and eye-catching design.

Step 4: Elevate your presentation by incorporating captivating visuals. You can upload your images or choose from Venngage’s vast library of high-quality photos, icons and illustrations. 

Step 5: Upgrade to a premium or business account to export your presentation in PDF and print it for in-person presentations or share it digitally for free!

By following these five simple steps, you’ll have a professionally designed and visually engaging presentation ready in no time. With Venngage’s user-friendly platform, your presentation is sure to make a lasting impression. So, let your creativity flow and get ready to shine in your next presentation!

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20 powerpoint shortcuts every consultant must know.

Table of contents

Shift shortcuts.

• CTRL shortcuts 

ALT shortcuts

Bonus shortcuts.

It's no secret that most Management consultants spend a disproportionate amount of time building slides in PowerPoint - especially in their early careers.  Under tight deadlines, consultants at firms like Bain, McKinsey, and BCG are expected to find ways to produce polished and well-structured slides in minutes. Consequently, and rightly so, many consultants are obsessed with PowerPoint speed and efficiency.  We have asked a group of ex-colleagues from BCG, Bain and McKinsey which PowerPoint shortcuts they can’t live without. 20 shortcuts stood out from this survey, and these are the topics of this post. Individually, each shortcut might seem trivial, saving you only a few seconds. But use them repeatedly, and those seconds add up. Over time, this will save you hours, making your work noticeably more efficient.  

How to improve PowerPoint speed and efficiency? 

Based on our experience, there are four groups of tools that can drastically improve the quality and speed of your slide-making process:

• Templates : Have access to a high-end library of slide templates to copy-paste from (ideally containing both slide layouts, storylines, and real-life project examples).  
• Charting and layout add-ins : PowerPoint add-ins like Thinkcell (used by BCG and Oliver Wyman) and Ampler are widely used across consulting firms. They are pricey but very helpful, especially if your whole team uses them.  
• Quick Access Toolbar: Customize your toolbar with PowerPoint commands that you use often but are also a bit tricky to access with the mouse.  
• PowerPoint shortcuts : Mouse and keyboard shortcuts to speed up various tasks when working in PowerPoint.

This post will focus on the last point: PowerPoint Shortcuts. We’ve categorized our top shortcuts based on the modifier keys— SHIFT , CTRL , and ALT —to make them easier to learn and apply. 

'SHIFT' key shortcuts in PowerPoint are essential for precisely manipulating shapes and objects. These shortcuts will transform your slides from a messy jumble into a tight and visually appealing presentation.  

Constrained Movement

SHIFT + Click and Drag an Object: Holding 'SHIFT' while moving an object constrains its movement horizontally or vertically, maintaining alignment with its original position.

Maintain Shape Proportions

SHIFT + Draw a Shape : When drawing a shape while holding 'SHIFT', the shape maintains a 1:1 aspect ratio. This means you'll create perfect squares instead of rectangles and perfect circles instead of ovals. Similarly, resizing a shape while holding 'SHIFT' preserves its original proportions.

Draw Straight Lines

SHIFT + Draw a Line : Holding 'SHIFT' while drawing a line restricts it to specific angles, such as 0°, 45°, or 90°, ensuring your lines are perfectly horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.

Snap Rotate in Increments

SHIFT + Rotate an Object : Rotating an object while holding 'SHIFT' snaps the rotation to 15-degree increments. This helps you achieve precise angles and ensures consistency across your slides.

CTRL shortcuts 

One often overlooked advantage of CTRL shortcuts is that most of them can be executed using just your left hand, allowing your right hand to stay on the mouse. This minimizes unnecessary movements between the keyboard and mouse, streamlining your workflow. Plus, since most people are already familiar with basic copy-paste commands like CTRL+C and CTRL+V , the CTRL muscle memory is already built-in, making these shortcuts easier to adopt.

All the shortcuts listed below work on Mac, too, if you simply press Command instead of CTRL.

Quick Duplicate and Move

CTRL + Click and Drag a Shape : Use this shortcut to duplicate a selected shape and drag it anywhere on the slide. It's a game-changer because it lets you copy, paste, and position a shape all in one motion.

Duplicate with Alignment

CTRL + SHIFT + Click and Drag a Shape : Adding 'SHIFT' to the previous shortcut allows you to duplicate a shape and move it along the same horizontal or vertical axis as the original, maintaining alignment.

Copy formatting

CTRL + SHIFT + C and CTRL + SHIFT + V : These shortcuts let you copy and paste the formatting of a shape or text. This is incredibly useful when adding new elements to your slide and you want them to match existing formatting. It's much faster than using the Format Painter tool from the Home tab. Plus, it's an easy shortcut to learn since you're probably already used to 'CTRL + C' and 'CTRL + V'; just add 'SHIFT'!

Select All Text in Object

CTRL + A : Use this to select all text within an object when you want to apply formatting changes or replace the text entirely. While it's less common to use 'CTRL + A' to select all objects on a slide, it can be handy when you need to adjust the formatting or position of every element.

Repeat Last Action

CTRL + Y : This shortcut repeats the last action you performed. It's especially useful for repeating time-consuming tasks like adjusting bullet indents and spacing in multiple text boxes.

Paste Text Without Formatting

CTRL + SHIFT + V : Use this combination to paste text without its original formatting. This is helpful when copying text from a website or another presentation and you don't want the formatting to affect your slide's design.

Group Objects

CTRL + G : Group selected objects so you can move or duplicate them as a single unit while preserving their relative positions. For example, if you have two shapes that you want to align to the center of the slide but keep their spacing consistent, group them first and then align them. To ungroup the shapes, use CTRL + SHIFT + G .

Paragraph Alignment 

PowerPoint provides handy shortcuts to quickly align your paragraphs without interrupting your workflow.

Align Left (Ctrl + L) Center Align (Ctrl + E) Align Right (Ctrl + R)

Font Size Adjustment

Quickly increase the font size of your text by hitting Ctrl + Shift + > and decrease your font size by hitting Ctrl + Shift + < This isn't the only shortcut to changing your font size, but it's the most intuitive.

Nudge objects

The "nudge" feature in Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to move selected objects—such as shapes, images, or text boxes—slightly in any direction using keyboard shortcuts. This is especially useful for precise placement when fine-tuning the layout of your slides. Holding down the Ctrl key will move the object in smaller increments, and holding down the Shift key while pressing the arrow keys moves the object in larger increments.

A common trick is to use ALT shortcuts exclusively to access the tools in your Quick Access Toolbar. ALT + (any number) activates the tool in that number's position on your toolbar. Most people only use the shortcuts for the first 3-5 positions for two reasons: 1) There is a limit to how many you can effectively remember, and 2) the first five number keys can be reached with one (left) hand.

Align objects

It is up to you to decide what tools to place in your Quick Access Toolbar, but it makes sense to include commands that you use often but are also a bit tricky to access with the mouse. Many consultants like placing the Align Objects tool in the first position of the Quick Access Toolbar. If you do this, you can type ALT + 1, then L to align left, ALT + 1, then R to align right, ALT + 1, then T to align top, etc.

Bring to front and Bring to back are also often used and nice to have as ALT + shortcut.

Lastly, here are two quick bonus shortcuts. They will not help you be more efficient, but they will make you look like a PowerPoint wizard when presenting.  

Go to specific slide

Type Slide Number + Enter (during presentation): Jump to a specific slide number during a presentation by typing the slide number and pressing Enter. This is useful for quickly navigating large presentations. Pro tip: Memorize key slide numbers for smooth transitions during Q&A sessions.  

Black / White Screen

Make the screen go black ( B ) or white ( W ) during a presentation to draw attention away from the screen. Press any key to return to the presentation. Use this to focus the audience's attention on you instead of the slide.  

Final thoughts

If you find yourself spending hours building presentations every week, learning even just a few of these shortcuts can save you a lot of time.

The hard part will be forcing yourself to use shortcuts so they can become reflexes. It'll slow you down at the beginning, but the time saved in the long run will far outweigh the initial annoyance.  

If you enjoyed this post, you should check out our growing library of slide templates created by former Mckinsey, BCG, and Bain management consultants.

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How to Stack Images in PowerPoint: A Complete Guide

Trish Dixon

Stacking images in PowerPoint allows users to layer visuals creatively, which can enhance presentations with a more dynamic and professional appearance. By aligning and organizing images in layers, you can emphasize specific elements, create visual depth, or even combine multiple images for a cohesive design. In this guide, we will walk you through stacking images in PowerPoint with simple steps and additional tips to make your presentation visually appealing.

Understanding Layers in PowerPoint

In PowerPoint , every object you add (text, images, shapes, etc.) exists on its own layer. By stacking these objects, you can create depth and overlap, which makes your slides more interesting. Learning how to manage layers is crucial for image stacking , as it ensures that images appear in the correct order.

How to Insert Multiple Images in PowerPoint

Before you start stacking, you need to insert the images you wish to layer. Follow these steps to insert multiple images:

• Open PowerPoint and navigate to the slide where you want to add images.
• Click on the Insert tab at the top.
• Select Pictures , then choose either This Device (to insert an image from your computer) or Online Pictures (to find images on the web).
• Browse your files and select multiple images by holding the Ctrl key (Windows) or Cmd key (Mac), then click Insert .

Once the images are added to your slide, you can start stacking and positioning them.

Aligning Images for a Clean Stack

Aligning your images is an important step when you want a neat and organized stack. Here’s how you can easily align images:

• Select all the images : Hold the Shift key and click on each image.
• Go to the Picture Format tab.
• Click on Align in the Arrange group and choose options like Align Left , Align Center , or Align Top depending on how you want to arrange your images.

By aligning images properly, you ensure they sit in the correct position for the stacking process.

How to Stack Images in PowerPoint Using Layers

Once you have your images in place, follow these steps to stack them:

• Select an image that you want to appear at the back of the stack.
• Right-click the image and choose Send to Back from the context menu. You can also choose Send Backward if you want to move it back one layer.
• For the image you want in the front, right-click and choose Bring to Front . Again, you can choose Bring Forward to move it one layer ahead.
• Repeat the process for other images depending on their position in the stack.

Overview: Layering Commands in PowerPoint

By using these simple commands, you can arrange your images in the correct stack order.

How to Group Stacked Images in PowerPoint

Grouping your stacked images allows you to move or resize them as a single object. Here’s how to group images:

• Select all the images : Click on the first image, then hold Shift and select the remaining images.
• Once all images are selected, right-click and choose Group from the context menu.
• Now, the stacked images will move together as one object, making it easier to adjust their position on the slide.

Grouping ensures your stacked images remain aligned when making adjustments to their placement or size.

Using Transparency for Enhanced Image Stacking

You can add a creative touch to your stacked images by applying transparency to certain images. This allows the bottom layers to show through, creating a layered effect. Follow these steps to adjust image transparency:

• Select the image you want to make transparent.
• Go to the Picture Format tab, and click on Transparency .
• Choose a transparency level or click Picture Transparency Options for more detailed control.

This technique can be particularly useful when creating a background or combining multiple images into a cohesive visual element.

How to Use Image Borders for Emphasis

Adding borders to your images can help each one stand out in the stack. Here’s how to add a border to your images:

• Select an image .
• Go to the Picture Format tab and select Picture Border .
• Choose a color and thickness for the border. You can also select Dashes for a different style.

Borders can help define individual layers, making it clear where one image ends and another begins.

Stacking Images with Shapes in PowerPoint

You can enhance your design by stacking images along with shapes. Adding shapes to your image stack gives extra depth and context to your visuals. Here’s how to stack images with shapes:

• Insert shapes : Go to the Insert tab, select Shapes , and pick a shape you want to use.
• Position the shape : Place the shape behind or in front of your images by using the Send Backward or Bring Forward commands.
• Adjust shape colors : Customize the color, border, and transparency of the shape to fit your design.

This technique is great for emphasizing certain images in your stack or adding a background element.

Maintaining Aspect Ratio While Stacking Images

When you resize images, maintaining the aspect ratio ensures they don’t become distorted. This is particularly important when stacking images to maintain uniformity. Here’s how to resize while maintaining the aspect ratio:

• Click on an image to select it.
• Hold the Shift key while dragging one of the corners to resize the image.

By holding Shift , you ensure the image scales proportionally, which keeps the stack visually consistent.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Stacking Images in PowerPoint

While stacking images is relatively easy, there are a few common mistakes to avoid:

• Overlapping too much : If the images overlap too much, it can create clutter and make your slide hard to read.
• Distorted images : Always hold Shift while resizing images to avoid distortion.
• Forgetting to group images : If you don’t group stacked images, moving one image will disrupt the entire stack.

By avoiding these mistakes, you can create a neat and professional image stack.

How to Add Animations to Stacked Images

Adding animations to stacked images can make your presentation more dynamic. Here’s how to add animations:

• Select the image you want to animate.
• Go to the Animations tab and choose an effect (e.g., Fade , Zoom ).
• Adjust the timing and duration to control how the animations appear.

Animating stacked images can bring attention to specific visuals, helping to engage your audience.

How to Add Alt Text to Stacked Images for Accessibility

It’s essential to add Alt Text to images for accessibility, especially when stacking multiple images. Here’s how to add Alt Text:

• Right-click on an image and select Edit Alt Text .
• Describe the image in a sentence or two. For example, “A photograph of a mountain landscape with a sunset.”

Alt Text helps visually impaired users understand the content of your slides, ensuring your presentation is accessible to all audiences.

Final Thoughts

Stacking images in PowerPoint allows you to create visually appealing slides with layered effects. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily insert, align, and stack images, enhancing your presentations. Whether you use transparency, borders, or animations, layering images can help you deliver a more engaging and polished presentation.

How do I insert multiple images in PowerPoint?

To insert multiple images in PowerPoint, go to the Insert tab, select Pictures, then choose This Device or Online Pictures. Hold the Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) key to select multiple images.

How can I stack images in PowerPoint?

To stack images in PowerPoint, insert all your images, then use the right-click menu to Send to Back or Bring to Front, adjusting the layers as needed.

How do I align images when stacking in PowerPoint?

To align images, select all of them by holding Shift, then go to the Picture Format tab. Use the Align options to align them as desired.

How do I group stacked images in PowerPoint?

To group stacked images, select all images, right-click, and choose Group. This allows you to move or resize them as one object.

How can I make images transparent in PowerPoint?

To make an image transparent, select it, go to the Picture Format tab, and adjust the Transparency level. You can choose preset levels or customize it.

How do I add animations to stacked images in PowerPoint?

To add animations, select the image, go to the Animations tab, and choose the desired effect. You can adjust timing and duration to control how the animations play.

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Create a presentation

Create a presentation in PowerPoint

Create presentations from scratch or start with a professionally designed, fully customizable template from Microsoft Create .

Tip:  If you have Microsoft Copilot it can help you create a presentation, add slides or images, and more. To learn more see  Create a new presentation with Copilot in PowerPoint.

Open PowerPoint.

In the left pane, select New .

Select an option:

To create a presentation from scratch, select Blank Presentation .

To use a prepared design, select one of the templates.

To see tips for using PowerPoint, select Take a Tour , and then select Create , .

Add a slide

In the thumbnails on the left pane, select the slide you want your new slide to follow.

In the  Home tab, in the  Slides  section, select  New Slide .

In the Slides section, select Layout , and then select the layout you want from the menu.

Add and format text

Place the cursor inside a text box, and then type something.

Select the text, and then select one or more options from the Font section of the Home tab, such as  Font , Increase Font Size , Decrease Font Size ,  Bold , Italic , Underline , etc.

To create bulleted or numbered lists, select the text, and then select Bullets or Numbering .

Add a picture, shape, and more

Go to the  Insert  tab.

To add a picture:

In the Images section, select Pictures .

In the Insert Picture From menu, select the source you want.

Browse for the picture you want, select it, and then select Insert .

To add illustrations:

In the Illustrations section, select Shapes , Icons , 3D Models ,  SmartArt , or Chart .

In the dialog box that opens when you click one of the illustration types, select the item you want and follow the prompts to insert it.

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