SmartArt Graphics in PowerPoint

SmartArt is a feature in PowerPoint that converts information into visual diagrams. Instead of writing long paragraphs, you can use shapes and connected elements to explain ideas.

Example: Show the steps of a project using a process diagram.

Follow these steps to insert SmartArt:

1. Open your PowerPoint presentation.
2. Select the slide where you want the diagram.
3. Click the Insert tab.
4. Click SmartArt in the Illustrations group.
5. Choose a suitable SmartArt layout and click OK.

PowerPoint provides several SmartArt categories:

• List: Presents related information.
• Process: Shows steps in a sequence.
• Cycle: Shows a repeating sequence.
• Hierarchy: Displays reporting structures.
• Relationship: Shows connections between ideas.
• Matrix: Shows relationships between groups of information.
• Pyramid: Presents information in levels.

List SmartArt is useful when you want to display related points without showing a particular sequence.

Example: Computer Course Topics

• MS Word
• MS Excel
• MS PowerPoint

Choose a List layout from the SmartArt gallery.

Process SmartArt displays steps that follow an order. It is useful for workflows, instructions, and project stages.

Example: Creating a Presentation

1. Plan the content
2. Create slides
3. Format the design
4. Present the slides

Cycle SmartArt is used to explain repeating activities or processes that continue in a loop.

Example: Learning Cycle

1. Learn
2. Practice
3. Review
4. Repeat

Choose a Cycle layout to represent this repeating process.

Hierarchy SmartArt displays levels of authority, organizational structures, or relationships between parent and child elements.

Example: Organization Structure

• Director
  • Manager
    • Employees

An organizational chart is a common example of Hierarchy SmartArt.

After inserting SmartArt, you can add text in two ways:

1. Click directly inside a SmartArt shape and type.
2. Open the Text Pane and enter text into its list.

Press Enter in the Text Pane to add another item. Use Tab to create a subordinate item when supported by the selected layout.

To add another shape to an existing SmartArt graphic:

1. Select the SmartArt graphic.
2. Open the SmartArt Design tab.
3. Click Add Shape.
4. Choose where the new shape should appear.

The available Add Shape options depend on the selected SmartArt layout.

You can change the arrangement of a SmartArt graphic without manually rebuilding every shape.

1. Select the SmartArt graphic.
2. Open the SmartArt Design tab.
3. Explore the Layouts group.
4. Select a suitable layout.

Review the result to ensure that your information remains easy to understand.

To change the colors of your SmartArt graphic:

1. Select the SmartArt graphic.
2. Click the SmartArt Design tab.
3. Choose Change Colors.
4. Select a color combination.

Choose colors that match your presentation theme and provide sufficient contrast.

SmartArt Styles change the visual appearance of a graphic. Depending on the layout, styles may provide different fills, borders, depth, or effects.

1. Select the SmartArt graphic.
2. Open the SmartArt Design tab.
3. Browse the SmartArt Styles gallery.
4. Choose a style that suits your content.

You can reposition and resize SmartArt to fit your slide.

• Click the outer border to select the entire graphic.
• Drag the graphic to move it.
• Drag a corner handle to resize it proportionally.
• Use the Format tab for additional size and position settings.

Leave enough space around the graphic so that the slide does not look crowded.

In supported PowerPoint versions and layouts, you can convert SmartArt into individual shapes to edit the elements separately.

1. Select the SmartArt graphic.
2. Open the SmartArt Design tab.
3. Choose Convert, if available.
4. Select Convert to Shapes.

Task: Create a SmartArt diagram for a computer institute.

1. Create a new PowerPoint presentation.
2. Insert a blank slide.
3. Insert a Hierarchy SmartArt graphic.
4. Add Director, Teachers, and Students.
5. Change the SmartArt colors.
6. Apply a SmartArt style.
7. Resize and position the diagram neatly.
8. Save the file as SmartArt_Practice.pptx.