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title: Customize PowerPoint Template Design date: 2024-01-01 cover: 1.jpg author: tutsplus.com tags:
- Presentation Tips
- PowerPoint
- Templates
Use this guide to learn how to customize a PowerPoint template from start to finish to create a great looking presentation.
Introduction
You’ve been asked to speak in front of an audience, and you may need speaking aids to display on screen and guide your presentation. However, building out those slides can take considerable time—time that you may not have while also writing all the content for your presentation.
In this tutorial, you’ll discover how easy and quick it can be to customize a PowerPoint presentation. You don’t have to create your presentation from scratch, thanks to custom PowerPoint themes. We will explore how to customize a PowerPoint design template, add branding and content, and uncover tips to streamline your presentation-building process. This way, you can spend more time preparing content and less time working in PowerPoint.
How to Build and Customize a PowerPoint Presentation
In this section, let’s walk through building an example PowerPoint presentation using a fictitious business case to illustrate the process.
Selecting Your Template: Buxe
We will use the Buxe PowerPoint presentation theme, available as part of Envato Elements. This template is versatile enough to be used for practically any purpose and includes ten different color schemes for a variety of options.
If you regularly give presentations, a subscription to Envato Elements is a wise investment. Not only do you gain access to a massive library of PowerPoint templates, but you also receive a plethora of additional assets, such as stock photos and graphics.
One of the main advantages of using Buxe is its extensive collection of over 100 pre-built slide designs. You can easily add your own content without needing to be a graphic designer.
I will build out a showcase for my fictional company using Buxe. Regardless of your presentation topic, this guide provides insights into using a custom PowerPoint theme effectively.
1. Build the Introductory Slide
Every presentation needs a solid start to grab the audience’s attention. Buxe offers several options for this purpose, but I’ll begin with a simple design that won’t distract the audience.
For the introductory slide, let’s select the very first slide design in Buxe. This design is straightforward enough to keep the focus on the presentation’s opening.
In the lower left corner of many slide designs, you might see “The BUXE Company.” We need to update this with our own details. Keep in mind that you cannot simply type over the boxes in the main view; these boxes are part of the Slide Master.
To open the Slide Master, go to the View menu and click on the Slide Master icon. Simply type into the placeholder boxes on the Slide Master, and the changes will automatically apply to every slide that uses this master.
2. Meet the Team
Before introducing your products, it’s important to introduce your team or company. This approach helps the audience connect with you.
Let’s edit slide 4, which already includes two picture placeholders. To add an image, drag and drop your image file into the placeholder or click on the Insert Picture from File button. When you do this, a file finder will open—find your file and double-click on it to insert it into the placeholder.
Next, delete any existing text. Highlight the text you want to remove and press the Delete key. Click inside the textbox until you see a blinking cursor, and then type in your own text.
To remove icons, click on them until a white box with handles appears around it, and then press Delete.
3. Show Off Your Services
To effectively showcase your work, it’s beneficial to provide examples of your past projects. Buxe has perfect slide designs to facilitate this.
For my showcase, I’ll use slide design 26 to outline some key details about what the company offers. Including key services alongside relevant screenshots can help reinforce what you’re explaining to the audience.
4. Share a Success Story
Let’s continue the discussion by showcasing a specific success story. This tactic can help potential clients envision their own projects and lead them to consider hiring you.
I’ll use slide design 91 for this example. It’s a simple, clean slide that allows for easy customization. Combine a screenshot of a project with a text description to highlight it effectively.
5. Continue the Conversation
Clients are more likely to engage with companies and teams that they know, like, and trust. While technical expertise is essential, getting hired often hinges on initiating a conversation with potential clients. You might not sell your service during the presentation, so it’s crucial to provide a way for the audience to follow up.
The Contact slide is one of the most important elements of any presentation. By including your contact details, you increase the chances of an audience member reaching out to hire you. I used slide design 113 to showcase my logo and contact information.
These are just a few of the slides you can create as part of your presentation. Continue utilizing the slide designs in Buxe to finalize your presentation.
5 Popular PowerPoint Design Tips & Trends
To create a compelling presentation, it’s essential to select the best custom PowerPoint template. Here are some design tips and trends to consider before downloading a template:
1. 90s Theme
A popular design trend is the 90s theme, which features vibrant neon colors and abstract shapes. This trend can be applied to any presentation that aims to inject fun and color. A retro theme can evoke nostalgia while adding a contemporary flair.
2. More Pictures, Less Text
Minimalism remains a dominant trend. An overcrowded custom PowerPoint slide can overwhelm the audience. To embrace this trend, focus on using visuals instead of text. A good rule of thumb is to limit each slide to six to eight lines of text and no more than thirty words.
3. Memphis Style
Memphis Style design incorporates pastel colors and simple shapes. Though related to the 90s trend, its softer palette adds a whimsical touch to presentations without being overly bright.
4. Customized Fonts
If you’re not a fan of the default font in your template, consider changing it. Envato Elements provides a wide array of fonts that can enhance your presentation. When selecting a new font, ensure it remains readable for all audience members to avoid distractions.
For a comprehensive discussion on the best fonts to use in PowerPoint, refer to our guide:
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5. Glassmorphism
Glassmorphism is a recent trend that resembles its name, aiming to make slides appear glass-like through transparency, glossiness, and frostiness. This elegant design trend can elevate the overall look of your presentation.
5 Top PowerPoint Templates from Envato Elements for 2023
Ready to create your PowerPoint presentation? Here are some standout templates from Envato Elements:
1. Reglass
Reglass offers 40 unique slides in a 16:9 widescreen format and includes handmade infographics to enhance visual appeal. It features both light and dark versions of the theme.
2. Muro PowerPoint Template
This template is minimal and modern, focusing on imagery. It includes device mockups, maps, and over 500 vector line icons to enrich your slides. With over 115 unique slides, it is easily editable.
3. Madione
Madione is a modern-style template featuring an aesthetically pleasing font. It offers over 150 total slides with five premade color schemes, along with options for illustrations and infographics.
4. Emphasis PowerPoint Template
The Emphasis PowerPoint Template has a Memphis-style design and includes a staggering 1200 total slides—30 unique slides per template. It comes in five distinct color schemes, allowing for vibrant presentations.
5. Metches
If you’re seeking a Memphis-style template that is modern and minimal, Metches is a great choice. It contains 30 unique slides and offers five color scheme options.
More PowerPoint Templates
If you didn’t find a template that suits your needs, explore these articles for more premium PowerPoint templates:
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Why Use PowerPoint?
Though PowerPoint doesn’t always receive the best reputation, it remains one of the best tools to enhance your presentations. Slides should complement your spoken message, not overshadow it. Well-constructed slides serve as effective aids, not the presentation itself.
One reason PowerPoint has garnered criticism is that presenters sometimes rely on it too heavily. Rather than explaining ideas, they may flood slides with entire paragraphs or focus on the screen instead of the audience.
However, when used correctly, PowerPoint can be a powerful tool to boost your confidence during presentations. Here are three reasons I consistently use PowerPoint:
1. It’s Friendly to Presenters
PowerPoint is designed to assist presenters by making it easier to display the right information at the right time. Three key presenter-friendly features include:
- Presenter view: This feature displays different information on your computer screen and the audience’s display, helping you keep track of your content.
- Speaker notes: Instead of struggling with note cards, you can add speaker notes to your slides to keep your prompts organized.
- Rehearsed timings: This feature allows you to set timings for each slide, enhancing the flow of your presentation.
Presenter View is crucial for effective presentations. Learn more about it in the guide below:
2. It’s Easy to Use
PowerPoint stands out for its user-friendly interface. You can swiftly insert placeholder boxes, drag-and-drop elements, and add your own content to build supporting slides.
Additionally, if you’re familiar with other Microsoft applications like Excel or Word, integration is seamless. For example, you can easily copy and paste charts from Excel into PowerPoint.
PowerPoint is also widely accepted, making collaboration straightforward. Many people are already familiar with it, allowing for easier review and adjustments to your slides.
If you’re new to PowerPoint, check out our beginners’ guide:
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3. A Community of Custom PowerPoint Themes
You don’t need to start from scratch when creating a PowerPoint presentation. I always begin by using someone else’s pre-built PowerPoint template.
One of my favorite resources for custom PowerPoint themes is my subscription to Envato Elements. It’s an all-you-can-download service that includes thousands of diverse PowerPoint templates, allowing you to create unique presentations.
As of now, Elements features thousands of custom PowerPoint themes available for download as part of a single subscription.
In this tutorial, we used one of these custom themes to learn how to quickly customize a PowerPoint template. You’ve seen how to integrate your content into the theme.
While PowerPoint offers some built-in designs, they often lack the professionalism and user-friendly experience provided by these custom themes. In this tutorial, you learned how to customize a PowerPoint theme to build an effective presentation.
For more insights into the best custom PowerPoint templates, check out the article below: