Wouldn’t it be awesome if there was a way in PowerPoint to quickly resize photos and lay them out in a grid? Guess what…there is! And it’s super-easy to do. Read the background intel on the design decisions I made, then click on the video below to see how I did it!
Before
Problem 1: Uneven sizing and placement of photos
Scattering photos on a slide can be OK if it’s just decorative. Here, we need to read captions and relate them to specific photos. Because the photos and text boxes are different sizes, it’s hard to take it all in.
Problem 2: Wrong color
Green = go, good, positive, etc. So why are green text boxes used to describe problems?
Problem 2: Too much text
Man, that’s a lot to read.
Problem 4: Passive tense
I’m not a linguist, but I am a copywriter. So I know that active verbs and shorter sentences are more attention-grabbing.
After
Solution 1: Photos now laid out in a grid
A grid arrangement is a classic, clean design that almost always works. And by putting the captions on top of the photos, I’ve taken the guesswork out of which text describes which photo.
Solution 2: Corrected color
Red = Bad, stop, warning…a much better color for problems!
Solutions 3 & 4: Copy editing
I rewrote the slide title and most of the captions to make them briefer and action-oriented. For example, “Can’t interoperate with partners without the right version of software,” becomes, “Software is incompatable.” Bam!
In conclusion…
It’s easy to create clean photo layouts using built-in PowerPoint tools. Check out this video to learn how!
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Submit your own slide for a Makeover!
If you subscribe to the Cheating Death by PowerPoint newsletter you can receive a free Slide makeover! Here’s the deal: In exchange for permission to use your slide in the newsletter and on this website for promotional purposes, you’ll get the redesigned PowerPoint slide file to use in any way you like. So not only do you get access to a step-by-step video on how the slide was redesigned and the source file, you learn the reasons behind all of the changes!
You’ll also get a free eBook, Cheating Death by PowerPoint: Essential PowerPoint Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices, which includes loads of advice on how to improve the way you work with PowerPoint!
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