Scenario:
You are just starting to create a new PowerPoint presentation, but all the designs offered in the Themes area of the Design tab are starting to look a bit stale. Each one reminds you of a presentation you have seen or designed before. You want to choose a theme that looks unique, fresh, and modern.
Solutions:
You have two great sources for additional design themes—templates and Designer.
Templates
To access the templates provided by Microsoft, go to File–>New to create a new presentation. Instead of choosing a new blank presentation, look for the “More themes” option located near it. Additionally, Montgomery College offers its own beautifully designed templates, which you are encouraged to use and can download for free from the Montgomery College PowerPoint Templates website.
Designer
Alternatively, you can allow Microsoft’s artificial intelligence tool called Designer to build a unique theme for you. Make sure you are using the Microsoft 365 version of PowerPoint, which you can easily access from any computer with a web browser by going to www.microsoft365.com and logging in with your Montgomery College credentials. Once you log in and open the PowerPoint application, you will see the Designer feature appear to the right. Enter a key word or two onto the first slide and choose the theme you prefer from the options provided. If you choose the design on the first slide, the theme should stay the same as you continue to build your presentation.
Watch this short video to see a demonstration of each design technique. Happy designing!
Learn More:
Montgomery College employees can sign up for a free Microsoft PowerPoint Essentials workshop to learn more about templates or PowerPoint Essentials Plus workshop to learn more about Designer. You can also visit the Microsoft Support website for PowerPoint.