As a graphic designer, you’d think I’d use InDesign and Photoshop any chance I get, right? Turns out that when I create content, whether it’s a brochure or a white paper, I truly love to use PowerPoint.
IIt is a lot more powerful than people would think, and if you use it right, it’s so effective. In one of my previous roles, I was a ghostwriter creating white-label eBooks for other people to leverage. That meant that those fancy Adobe apps were out of the question. That forced me to embrace PowerPoint beyond the classic execs updates and fiscal year kick-off planning sessions. I was pigeonholed into the app, but just like the plot of a cheesy romcom, I fell in love.
The few things that got me going were:
- Slide Master
- Grids and guides
- Quick Access toolbar
- Selection panel
- Everything in the design menu
- SmartArt
- My love for design
I can teach you 85.7% of these in a jiffy and can try to help you grasp good basic design concepts to rock your next presentation. As a power user – or rather a power-curious clicker – I won’t shy away from sharing tips, tricks, and hints of other M365 apps.
For example, did you know that if you go on Microsoft Teams on your mobile and click on the settings, you will find the “Pride” theme? Whether you identify as Queer, want to support the community as an Ally, or simply want to rock a rainbow in your app, the Pride theme replaces Team’s purple with a glorious rainbow gradient across the app. Kudos for the support, Microsoft!