Create a Timeline in PowerPoint

Timelines come in a rich variety of colors, shapes, and types.

While there are plenty of creative ways to design them, they usually include a few basic elements such as shapes, text, numbers, and lines. With these simple elements, you can assemble a visually appealing and easy-to-understand chronology of the story you want to tell.

In this guide, we will start by creating a simple line before moving on to circles and callouts, ultimately adding some descriptive text. It’s nothing too overwhelming, so if you’re ready, let’s start creating a timeline in PowerPoint!

Creating the Outline

1. Open PowerPoint: Start by launching your PowerPoint presentation.

2. Select a Slide: Choose the slide where you want to insert the timeline.

3. Draw a Line: Navigate to Drawing, select Shapes, and then choose Lines. From the options available, select Line. Click and drag your cursor to draw a simple line.

   Pro tip: Hold down Shift while dragging to create a perfectly straight line. You can use this technique to draw perfect circles and squares as well.

   

4. Customize the Line: Click on the line to select it. Use Shape Outline to modify its color and weight. Since PowerPoint’s default lines are quite thin, increasing the weight will give it a more substantial appearance.

   

5. Create Circles: Go back to Shapes and select Basic Shapes, then choose Oval. Hold down Shift while dragging to create a perfect circle, which will represent your first milestone.

   

6. Style the Circle: Change the circle’s style using Shape Fill and Shape Outline options. For a cohesive look, apply the same color as your line. If you want a clean appearance, set the Shape Outline to No Outline.

   

7. Replicate the Circle: Copy and paste the circle (Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V, or Cmd + C and Cmd + V for Mac) to create a total of five circles to represent five milestones.

   Pro tip: Take advantage of PowerPoint’s visual guidelines, represented by thin red arrows, to ensure even spacing between the circles.

   

Creating Callouts for Your Text

1. Insert Callouts: Click on Shapes and scroll down to Callouts. Select a callout shape and drag it on your slide to create a callout for each circle. Each callout should contain a brief description of its corresponding milestone.

2. Style Your Callouts: Adjust the callout’s color and border using Shape Outline and Shape Fill, ensuring they match the style of your timeline. For consistency, consider making the callouts borderless as you did with the circles.

   

3. Custom Callouts: If you want the callout’s tail centrally aligned, create a custom callout by combining a rectangle with an inverted triangle. This can be found under Flowchart shapes.

   

4. Apply Uniform Styles: Remember to keep the colors and borders consistent across all shapes. You can select both elements to change their attributes simultaneously.

   

   Pro tip: Group your objects by selecting them and then navigating to Arrange → Group in Drawing. This allows you to move both elements together as one unit.

5. Finalize Callout Placement: Copy and paste callouts as needed, alternating their positions to create a dynamic look. Place one callout above the third circle, another above the fifth, and adjust as necessary.

   

6. Rotate Callouts: For added effect, rotate callouts so that their tails point towards their respective circles. Click on the callout, drag the rounded arrow to rotate until it’s inverted 180 degrees.

   Pro tip: Hold down Shift while dragging to rotate the callout in 15-degree increments.

   

Writing Titles

1. Insert Text Box: Click on the Insert tab, then select Text Box. Draw a text box for your first title.

2. Type Your Title: Fill in the text box with your title.

   Pro tip: Align the width of the text boxes to match the callouts and centralize your text for a polished look.

   

3. Format Your Title: Highlight the title text to apply styling such as Font, Font Size, and Alignment. Always aim for consistency with the master slide’s style to maintain coherence throughout your presentation.

   

4. Create Titles for All Callouts: Repeat the process to write and format titles for all five callouts.

Writing Descriptions

1. Insert Description Text Boxes: Again, use the Insert tab to create a text box for your first description. Ensure it matches the width of the callout.

2. Compose Your Descriptions: Keep descriptions concise and relevant to each milestone.

   

3. Duplicate the Text Boxes: Copy and paste four additional text boxes, placing them in their respective callouts to complete the timeline.

   

Congratulations! You’ve successfully created a timeline in PowerPoint!