- Take advantage of the Smart Art graphics available in Word. You can insert a variety of graphs and charts easily and with stunning results. This kind of extra to your document will give you an edge above the competition.
- If you are including specific data or information that requires focus, put it in a table. Not only will this make it easy to edit, it will also define it for the reader.
- Don’t forget about Word’s predesigned projects and templates. They can save you a lot of time… but make sure you adjust them enough to make them unique!
- Add ALT tags or descriptions to your images for screen readers.
- Create templates to save time on reproducing similar documents.
- Where possible, justify blocks of text. Symmetry is much more attractive to the human eye.
- You can easily reference and source information in your document using hyperlinks. Either globally, (online links) or locally, (links within the document itself) hyperlinks will make your document that touch more interactive.
- Keep your document dynamic. Inserting images is something that will always keep your readers a little more engaged. Be careful to not overdo it though. Only use appropriate, quality images… and be careful of copyright restrictions!
- Word can be great for those little projects that need doing and you didn’t know how. Business cards, flyers, menus, among menu others, can be easily created using the already designed Word templates.
- Don’t overlook the basics. Make sure your typeface is appropriate. NEVER use comic sans, (it has been recognized as the industry standard in unprofessionalism). If you are producing a document for children, reflect that in the font – likewise for professionals.
Microsoft Office
10 Design Tips For Powerpoint
- Think about how easy your slides are to read. Use a color scheme that provides good contrast between the background and text itself.
- If you NEED to use a background that is difficult to place text on, give the text itself a solid background box to frame and define it.
- Try to stick to Sans Serif fonts – they are much easier to read; especially from a distance.
- Similarly, standard fonts look much more professional – resist the urge to throw wacky typography on your slides!
- Don’t forget how important first impressions are and make sure you create a captivating title page that gets across the theme of the presentation, yet doesn’t give too much away.
- Use custom slides where possible – Differing from the built-in PowerPoint themes will make sure your presentation is unique and give it an edge.
- If you are going to use imagery, make sure it’s of a high quality. Remember your presentation might be shown on a large screen so the higher quality the image the better.
- Don’t underestimate solid colors. They’re easy to use and extra easy for the viewer to read text.
- Keep the text down to a minimum; it is a presentation, after all. The information within the slides themselves should be brief and an explanation should be provided by the speaker.
- The same goes for bullet points. Used wisely, they can be a fantastic tool, but keep them to a minimum or else you may as well be writing a few paragraphs of text!
- Highlighting, bolding, underlining or enlarging text can draw focus to key points in your presentation.
You don’t need to create fireworks with slide transitions. Keep these simple since a slide jumping in from every angle can get a little irritating
For complete access to the Microsoft Powerpoint Tips & Tricks eBook, Click here
10 Design Tips for Powerpoint
- Think about how easy your slides are to read. Use a color scheme that provides good contrast between the background and text itself.
- If you NEED to use a background that is difficult to place text on, give the text itself a solid background box to frame and define it.
- Try to stick to Sans Serif fonts – they are much easier to read; especially from a distance.
- Similarly, standard fonts look much more professional – resist the urge to throw wacky typography on your slides!
- Don’t forget how important first impressions are and make sure you create a captivating title page that gets across the theme of the presentation, yet doesn’t give too much away.
- Use custom slides where possible – Differing from the built-in PowerPoint themes will make sure your presentation is unique and give it an edge.
- If you are going to use imagery, make sure it’s of a high quality. Remember your presentation might be shown on a large screen so the higher quality the image the better.
- Don’t underestimate solid colors. They’re easy to use and extra easy for the viewer to read text.
- Keep the text down to a minimum; it is a presentation, after all. The information within the slides themselves should be brief and an explanation should be provided by the speaker.
- The same goes for bullet points. Used wisely, they can be a fantastic tool, but keep them to a minimum or else you may as well be writing a few paragraphs of text!
- Highlighting, bolding, underlining or enlarging text can draw focus to key points in your presentation.
How To Insert Smart Art Graphics With Ms Word
10 Design Tips for Ms-Word
1. Take advantage of the Smart Art graphics available in Word. You can insert a variety of graphs and charts easily and with stunning results. This kind of extra to your document will give you an edge above the competition.
2. If you are including specific data or information that requires focus, put it in a table. Not only will this make it easy to edit, it will also define it for the reader. (more…)