How to create powerful animations in PowerPoint

Discover PowerPoint animations and the Animation tab

First, it is essential to understand the possibilities that PowerPoint offers when it comes to animations. To access animation options, open your PowerPoint presentation and click on theAnimations tab in the ribbon at the top of the screen.

In this tab, you will find a effects list animation options available for elements on your slide, such as text, images, or shapes. PowerPoint animations can be classified into four main categories: entry, emphasis, exit, and movement paths.

Entree

Input animations allow you to gradually introduce an element into the slide. For example, you can use the “Apparition” effect to display text or an image discreetly, or choose a more dynamic effect like “Zoom.”

Accentuation

Accent animations are designed to highlight an element that is already on the slide. They can be used to draw attention to a key point in your presentation, such as the “Pulse” effect that makes an object vibrate briefly.

Outing

As the name suggests, exit animations are used to make an element disappear from the slide. They can be used to conclude a topic or to hide information after presenting it in order to make room for others.

Movement trajectories

Finally, movement paths make it possible to move an element from point A to point B, following a predefined or custom trajectory. This can be useful to show the evolution of a project or to animate graphic elements.

Add animations to your slides

Now that you're familiar with the various PowerPoint animations, here's how to add them to your slides:

1. Select the element to be animated by clicking on it.
2. Click the Animations tab on the ribbon.
3. Go through the list of effects and click on the one you want to apply. You can preview the effect by hovering over the effect icon.
4. Adjust the start setting, duration, and delay of the animation.
5. Repeat these steps for each item you want to animate.

Customize animations for a professional effect

To give a professional look to your animations, it is important to customize them according to your needs. Here are some tips to optimize your animations:

• Use consistent effects based on your Graphic charter and the tone of your presentation (serious, fun, etc.).
• Pay attention to the pace and duration of the activities. They should not be too long or too fast so as not to interfere with the reading of the slide.
• Remember to order the animations in the right order. To do this, use the Animation panel (accessible by clicking on the corresponding button in the Animations ribbon) located on the right side of the screen and change the order of the animations by dragging them.
• Play around with the effect options to customize the look, direction, and style of the animation.
• Some animations (such as Sudden Entry) offer an animation speed smoothing that we recommend configuring. You can access it by double-clicking on the animation line in the Animation panel. For an entry animation, it will often be more natural to push Ending gently at most. Conversely, we will opt for a Soft start in the case of an exit animation.

Get inspired

Discover our event presentations or even our Showcase for inspiration on your PowerPoint animations.

Conclusion

By applying these few tips, you'll be able to create compelling animated presentations with PowerPoint. Remember that the objective of animations is to improve the understanding of your message and to capture the attention of your audience without overdoing it. Feel free to practice and experiment with the various animations to find the ones that best fit your presentation. If you need to provide professional animated support, we are at your disposal to support you on your project.