what makes a good google slides presentation for students

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

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Google Slides 101: Tips and Tricks Every Teacher Needs To Know

Everything you need to become an expert in no time!

Google Slides is a favorite teaching tool for many educators, both in person and online. With a huge selection of free features and options, this powerhouse allows teachers to create dynamic, interactive presentations that really engage their students. Whether you’re new to Google Slides or are looking to up your game, these resources will help you make the most of it.

Start with the basics

If this is all new to you, watch this video to see how to create simple Google Slides. It walks you through the process one step at a time. Plus, grab a free Google Slides Cheat Sheet from Shake It Up Learning .

Share slides with your students

You aren’t limited to using slideshows to accompany in-class presentations. Share them with students to use when studying, assign them as homework or for asynchronous learning, or create interactive slides (more on that below). Assigning Google Slides to your students is easy in Google Classroom. Teaching With Jennifer Findlay shows you how it’s done.

Use themes and templates

Jeoparty! Theme from SlidesCarnival

Google Slides themes are a pre-set group of colors, fonts, backgrounds, and layouts.  You may sometimes see themes called “templates”—these two terms are interchangeable and work in the same way. Themes/templates allow you to enter your own information but save you a lot of time by taking care of the overall look and layout for you.

Doodles Theme from SlidesMania

You’ll find a variety of themes built into the program itself (watch the Google Basics video above to see how to use them). You’ll also find thousands more available for free or purchase online. Using them is generally as simple as clicking a link and then choosing “Use Template” to customize.

Add sounds to Google Slides

Adding sounds like music or narration can make your slide presentation a lot more interesting. Play bird songs in a lesson on ornithology, listen to a concerto as you discuss Mozart, or even create your own read-aloud. Narrated slides are terrific for asynchronous learning situations too. Learn how to add audio from Fluxing Well.

Don’t forget video

The nice thing about embedding a video directly in your Google Slides presentation is that you (or your students) don’t have to worry about clicking over to another window or website. Instead, you can simply set the video to play automatically (or once the Play button is clicked). You can use YouTube videos, videos from other sites, or those you’ve created yourself. (Pro tip: You can set a video to start and stop at any time you like !)

Make your Google Slides interactive

If you think a slideshow is something for students to sit and watch passively, Google Slides is here to prove you wrong. Have kids click on correct answers, type in text, and a whole lot more. This in-depth video demonstrates the entire process. Get more info from Super Sass and Science Class.

Choice boards are a popular way to make slides interactive. This video has the quick how-to.

Drag-and-drop slides are another terrific way to draw learners into a slide presentation. It’s amazing how much of a difference this makes in student engagement!

Link to internal slides and external sites

Adding links really ups the interactivity of your slides and turns them into self-directed activities in a snap. You can link kids to other pages in the slides for self-checking assessments or to external sources like websites or Google Classroom docs. This is one (easy) skill every teacher should master.

Check out Google Slides add-ons

Google Slides itself has lots of features, but you can also get lots of (often free) add-ons to make certain tasks easier. Add-ons are available to make diagrams, find better images, and display math equations … just to name a few. Ditch That Textbook has a list of 20 add-ons all teachers should try here.

Source: Maneuvering the Middle

One add-on teachers swear by is Pear Deck . It makes it easy to drop in formative assessments and evaluate student progress. The basic program is free for all users; learn how it works here .

Get in on the Bitmoji classroom trend

Those Bitmoji classrooms that are all the rage are right at home on Google Slides. Learn more about these virtual classrooms here, including how to make your own.

If you’re really ambitious, you can “animate” your Bitmoji to create a cool effect that kids will enjoy. It takes a bit of time, but as this video shows, it’s really not that hard to do.

Teach students to use Google Slides

Once students know how to use the program, there are all sorts of awesome assignments they can take on. Even elementary kids can learn how it works. Two Boys and a Dad has an awesome free project to get them started. Once they’ve got the basic skills, here are a few ideas to try.

Challenge your students to create an e-book using slides. Have them illustrate their creative writing, or try it for a different twist on a standard report. Get the quick tutorial from Shake Up Learning.

Digital interactive notebooks make it easy for you to monitor student progress, online or in-person. Plus, no more worries about kids “forgetting” to bring their notebook! Two Boys and a Dad shows you how they work. Make your own, or find ready-to-use templates on the web like this one from Student Savvy .

Looking for more ways to use Google Slides? Learn How Teachers Can Plan and Use Virtual “Stations” Online.

Plus, 30+ Virtual Learning Platforms and Tools for Teachers and Kids .

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35 Fantastic Free Google Slides Templates and Themes for Teachers

Add some pizzazz to your presentations! Continue Reading

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A Beginner’s Guide To Google Slides In The Classroom

By Kathleen Morris

You’re probably familiar with the range of free, web-based tools offered by Google within its Google Drive service?

These tools include Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Forms, and Google Slides. They’ve become staples in classrooms, homes, and businesses around the world.

For teachers and students, Google Slides is one of the most exciting and versatile tools on offer.

Maybe you’ve heard of Google Slides and you’re wondering how you can use it in the classroom?

Or perhaps, you’ve dabbled with Google Slides but you’re not sure exactly how it can be used beyond presentations?

Or are you a blogger wondering how Google Slides can complement your blog posts?

This post explains:

What is google slides.

How to create a Google Slides presentation

How teachers and students can use Google Slides in the classroom (7 creative examples)

How to embed Google Slides into your blog posts (PDF and video tutorial included)

Using Google Slides in Remote Learning

You’re probably familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint — the software used to create and present slideshows?

Google Slides is similar except it’s hosted online and allows for multiple people to collaborate on the same presentation in real time.

Quick facts about Google Slides:

• It’s free.
• You can start with a blank document or use a pre-designed template. 
• It’s available via the web , a mobile app ( Android , iOS , Windows, BlackBerry), and as a desktop application on Google’s ChromeOS .
• PowerPoint files can be imported into Google Slides and then edited. Your Google Slides presentations can be exported as a PowerPoint file, PDF, JPEG, PNG and more.
• Images and video can be added to presentations. As of April 2019, audio can also be added (this feature is currently being rolled out — see below for more details).
• There are many sharing options for your Google Slides presentation. It can be private, you can share it with select people, or you can share it publicly on the web. You can choose whether people can view or edit your presentation.
• If you’re collaborating with others on a Google Slides presentation, you can chat, leave comments, and work simultaneously on the same presentation.
• Your work is automatically saved as you work on your presentation.
• You can present your slides within the platform (View > Present). You can either plug your computer into a screen or use Chromecast or AirPlay to show a live audience. You can also present virtually via Google Hangouts.
• You can add real-time automatic captions when you present in Google Slides. Find out more here .
• There are many add-ons available for Google Slides. These are tools from 3rd party developers to add more functionality to Google Slides. Most add-ons are free but some have paid premium versions. Learn more about add-ons by reading Eric Curts’ post: 9 Awesome Add-ons to Supercharge Google Slides.
• Google Slides presentations can be embedded in blogs and websites.

Here’s a graphic summary of the above. Feel free to share it with colleagues who want to learn more about Google Slides.

How To Start A Google Slides Presentation

You’ll need a Google Account to access Google Slides. There’s a high chance you already have one! This is the same username/password you use for Gmail and other Google Products. You might also have a school Google account.

If you haven’t got a Google account yet, you can sign up here:

Google Drive is the place where your Google Slides presentations are stored. It’s also one of the ways you can start a new Google Slides presentation.

You access your Google Drive on the web through this URL:

Click on New in the top left-hand corner. Then click on Google Slides and either Blank Presentation or From a template .

Other Ways To Start A New Google Slides Presentation

• You can go straight to your Google Slides collection to view past Slides and create a new one using this URL  https://docs.google.com/presentation
• presentation.new
• You can also start a new Slides presentation in the app ( Android | iOS )

Using Google Slides Offline

Rolling out from  late April 2019 , there’s a new way to access Google Slides when you’re offline or have poor internet connection.

The first step is to enable offline access in your Drive settings.

How to enable offline access for Google Slides:

• Go to your Google Drive and click the gear icon at the top right corner
• Select Settings > General and select “Sync Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings files to this computer” so you can edit offline.
• You can then right-click on any file in your Google Drive and select “Available offline” from the menu (while connected to the internet).
• You’ll need the free Chrome  Google Docs Offline extension  to access your offline documents.

Check out the full instructions to access Google Slides offline on any device here .

How To Make A Google Slides Presentation

You’ll notice when you start a new Google Slides presentation, using the methods described above, you have the option to build a blank presentation or work from a pre-designed template.

Whatever option you choose, creating your presentation is straightforward.

Here are the basics of creating a Google Slides presentation.

• You add text via text boxes which you can drag around to suit.
• Use the + button on the top left to add a new slide
• Right-click on your slide on the left navigation panel to duplicate it (this can be easier than building a slide from scratch). Duplicate is also found under the “Slide” menu.

This diagram shows the basic functions you will use most with Google Slides. Feel free to share it with your students or colleagues.

Click on the image to enlarge it.

Learn More About Google Slides

Learn more about getting started with Slides with the G Suite Learning Centre. 

“ Get started with Slides ” is an easy to follow tutorial that’s suitable for both teachers and students.

Video Tutorials: Google Slides Overview

This two-minute video tutorial  provides a simple overview of Google Slides basics.

After a more detailed video? Check out David Lee’s 12-minute introduction to Google Slides.

New Feature: Add Audio To Google Slides

In April 2019, Google began rolling out the ability to add audio to Google Slides presentations. This long-requested function could be very handy for teachers and students.

Audio can be great for reflection, narration, feedback, and all sorts of creative projects.

Want more examples of how audio can enhance Google Slides for teachers and students? Kasey Bell has written a blog post that shares 25 Ways to Use Audio in Google Slides Projects .

Although the ability to add audio is a great new feature, you can’t record audio directly into your Slides presentation.

As Eric Curts explains,

You see, even though we can now add audio to a Google slideshow, there isn’t a simple built-in recording button. Instead you need to record the audio separately with another program, then save it to Drive, and then add it to a slide.

Thankfully, Eric has put together a helpful collection of  4 Free and Easy Audio Recording Tools for Google Slides .

The tools Eric recommends to make audio recordings are:

• ChromeMP3 Recorder from HablaCloud
• Online Voice Recorder
• Beautiful Audio Editor
• TwistedWave

You can find out all about this process and how exactly you insert audio into Google Slides in Eric’s blog post , podcast , or video .

Using Google Slides In The Classroom: The Basics

The simplest and most obvious way to use Google Slides is to create a slide deck. That is, a collection of slides put together to form a presentation.

A slide deck is used to support an oral presentation.

There are many times when teachers or students might need a basic slide deck:

• Teachers can create a slide deck to support the lessons they’re presenting to students.
• Students can make a Slides presentation to accompany an oral presentation that’s part of their classwork.
• Students or teachers can create slide decks when they need to showcase learning or share school programs (e.g. information evening, school assembly, parent-teacher night, etc.).
• Teachers can collaborate on a slide deck for a conference or staff meeting presentation.

Apart from these basic uses, there is so much more you can do with Google Slides.

Let’s take a look…

7 Creative Ways To Use Google Slides In The Classroom

Kasey Bell isn’t wrong when she calls Google Slides the Swiss Army knife of G Suite. Let’s take a look at some creative ways you could use Google Slides in the classroom.

1) Introduce Your Class

Alethea Vazquez is a teacher who participated in the Student Blogging Challenge with her students a number of times. Her students collaborated on a great Google Slides presentation to introduce themselves on their class blog.

In this post , Alethea explains how she carried out this process. It involved giving students a Slides template that they could edit.

Take a look at the end result. This is perfect for an About page on a class blog.

2) Make Choose Your Own Adventure Stories

Remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books that were popular in past decades?

Creating a similar style of “interactive fiction” is a creative way to use Google Slides. It includes a certain amount of planning as teacher Kevin Hodgson explains in this post .

Here’s an example of interactive fiction using Google Slides by Kevin Hodgson. He shared this on his class blog as an example for students.

Tutorials For Choose Your Own Adventure Stories

• Check out this post by Eric Curts for a detailed explanation
• Jake Miller has made a useful GIF to explain the instructions
• This resource from Google explains how to make a collaborative “If-then Adventure Story”

As Kevin Hodgson says,

Most of my students really enjoy this writing, as it is very different from traditional pieces we do, but a few do struggle with the unconventionality of it. That’s OK, too, for what I am trying to show them is that writing is not one form, but many forms and always adaptable.

3) Try Collaborative Storytelling And Research

Two students in Linda Yollis’ third grade class collaborated together on a Google Slides presentation for the Student Blogging Challenge .

They shared their experiences of traveling to London with their own families and included some great research.

They embedded their presentation on their personal blogs — check out “Jodie Bloom’s blog  and “Sarah Gold’s” blog . These are pen names.

4) Compile Individual Slides Into One: Poetry Example

Sometimes you might want students to all contribute one slide to a group presentation.

There are two ways to do this:

• You can start a new Slides presentation and share this template with the class. You would assign a slide number to each student. You just need to make sure students don’t interfere with other students’ slides.
• Or, you can have students create their own new Slides presentation and then share their completed slide with you. You can then compile all slides into one group Slides presentation. These instructions from Erintegration explain how to do this.

Here’s an example I made with students where they wrote their own Haiku poem. The students could write a few examples in their own Slides presentation and share their favorite one with me for the class compilation.

5) Share Photos Of Work That’s Not Digital

Google Slides doesn’t have to just be used to share digital work. It can be used to share and present any work students complete in the classroom.

Here’s an example where my students created their own Wacky Wednesday rhyme and illustration after studying the Dr. Seuss book.

I took photographs of all the students’ work and put them in a Google Slides presentation.

Readers were invited to guess the ‘wacky’ things they found in the students’ pictures.

Tip: Make A Photo Slideshow With PowerPoint

I found the easiest way to do this was to add the album of images to a PowerPoint presentation. You just need to go to Insert > Photo Album > New Photo Album. PowerPoint can position one image per slide automatically.

You then save your PowerPoint and import it into Google Slides ( these instructions show you how).

6) Flip Your Classroom: Create A Self Guided Lesson

Google Slides is a great way to help someone work through a lesson, either in a live classroom setting, or in their own time.

You’ve probably heard of the term “flipped classroom”? This is where students can learn content outside of the classroom freeing up face-to-face class time for rich discussions, projects, collaborations and so on.

Teachers can prepare Google Slides presentations that walk students through lessons. Students can work through these presentations at their own pace and in their own time. A similar model can be used for staff professional development.

Here is an example from instructional technology coach, Noah King. Noah used a blog post I wrote about how to teach students to research online to create a Slides presentation to use with 5th graders.

Read more about this Slides presentation here .

7) Make Images

Google Slides offers a blank canvas where creations can be download into image formats like JPEG and PNG.

For those reasons, it’s a great way for students and teachers to make images that they can print or use digitally.

Examples of images you could create in Google Slides:

• Blog headers
• Other blog images (e.g. see the example of the promotional graphic at the start of this post. These are great to share on social media).
• Certificates
• Photos with captions
• Flowcharts, mindmaps, or other graphic organizers
• How-to tutorials
• Classroom labels

Note : Another option for making images is Google Drawings. In this Venn diagram, Tony Vincent shows us how Google Drawings and Google Slides are the same and different.

Be sure to follow Tony on Twitter or Instagram as he often shares tips for using Google Slides and other tech tools.

How To Make A Graphic Or Image Using Google Slides

#1 open google slides.

You can work with a blank presentation or a template.

#2 Change your image size (optional)

If you want your image to be a certain size (e.g. the size of your blog header), you can change this in File > Page Setup > Custom . You can enter the dimensions you’re after in inches, centimeters, points, or pixels.

Tip : If you’re making a blog header, you’ll find the required dimensions in Customizer as demonstrated here .

#3 Make your background transparent (or another color)

If you want your image to ha ve a transparent background, cli ck on File > Change background .

Then choose Transparent (or another color).

If you select a transparent background, there will be no background when you download your image as PNG or JPEG.

#4 Create your design

Add the text, images, and shapes that you’d like on your design.

Tip : If you want to experiment with a design element but you’re not sure if you’ll like it, duplicate your slide before making your changes. Then you can choose the one you like best.

Right-click on the slide in the navigation panel and select “Duplicate slide”.

#5 Save your design as an image

You’ll then have an image file that you can print or use in your digital creations.

Here is a simple blog header image I made with Google Slides by modifying a template.

These 7 examples are only the tip of the iceberg of ways you could use Google Slides in the classroom.

We’d love you to share your own examples in a comment. Scroll down to find the comment box.

How To Embed Google Slides In Your Blog Post Or Page

As you’ve seen, Google Slides can be used in so many different ways. You can amplify this learning even more by sharing your work with an authentic audience on your blog.

Google Slides presentations can be easily embedded in blog posts or pages using HTML code (don’t worry if you’ve never done this before — it’s easy).

Note : If you’re using Edublogs, you’ll need Edublogs Pro or CampusPress in order to embed HTML code. This is to prevent misuse by spammers.

Let’s take a look at how to embed a Google Slides presentation into a blog post or page. You’ll find the written instructions below and then a video and PDF version.

This is a two-step process. First, you need to get the embed code from your Slides presentation then add it to your blog.

Step One: Get the embed code for your Slides presentation

1) open your slides presentation.

You can go to your Drive or directly to your Slides collection to find your presentation. Double click on the presentation to open it.

2) Publish to the web

Go to File > Publish to the web

You’ll find File in the top left-hand corner of your page.

Click on Embed . There are a few options to control the size and speed of the slides. Changing these options isn’t essential (medium is usually a good size).

Click on Publish .

You’ll receive a warning that you’re about to publish to the web. Press OK .

3) Copy the embed code

After you press OK, your HTML embed code will appear in a box. You need to copy this code to add to your blog post or page.

How to copy:

• Click on the text to highlight it if it’s not already highlighted
• Press Control C (Windows) or Command C (Mac)
• Alternatively, right-click and press Copy

Note : If you ever want to unpublish your Slides presentation so it’s not available on the web, repeat these steps and click on the small arrow at the bottom of the box that says Published content and settings . Select Stop publishing .

Step Two: Add the embed code to your blog post or page

These instructions show how to add your Slides presentation to a blog post. The same process applies to pages.

1) Open your post

Go to your blog dashboard and open the post you’re working on. Or, go to  Posts > Add New .

2) Add Media

Place your cursor where you want the Slides presentation to appear and then click on the  Add Media  button.

3) Insert Embed Code

In the Add Media window, click on the  Insert Embed Code  tab on the left.

4) Paste Embed Code

Paste the  embed code  into the Insert Embed code box.

How to paste:

• Press Control V (Windows) or Command V (Mac)
• Alternatively, right-click and select Paste

When you’ve finished writing your post, click  Publish .

You should now see your embedded Slides presentation when you view the published post. You can also preview your post to see what it looks like before publishing.

Here’s an example of an embedded Google Slides presentation.

Video: How To Embed A Google Slides Presentation

This 3 minute video takes you through the process described above.

PDF: How To Embed A Google Slides Presentation

You’re welcome to print this 2 page PDF to show your students or colleagues how to embed their Google Slides presentation into a blog post or page.

>> Click here to download a copy of the PDF

Using google slides in remote learning.

If you’re teaching remotely, you’ll need to offer your students a planner or lesson descriptions.

Some teachers put their planners in a Google Slides presentation.

Don’t forget to add these Slides presentations to a blog, LMS, or website so they don’t get lost).

• You can include text, links, and videos of yourself teaching to a Slides presentation amongst other things.
• One major benefit is you can copy and edit your planner so you don’t have to start from scratch each day.
• Check out this post by Alice Keeler for more advice on using Slides in remote learning.

Here’s an example from US kindergarten teacher Megan Peschke @MeganPeschke ). Don’t be put off by the age group. This idea could be adapted for any age!

Click here to view the Google Slides presentation in a new tab .

Instructions for Editing and Using Megan’s Google Slides

1. Click on this link:

2. You will be prompted to make a copy (screenshot below).

3. The Slides will be saved in your Google Drive.

4. You can edit the Google Slides to suit.

SlidesMania have also published a fantastic free weekly planner template that can be used in Google Slides or PowerPoint. Find it here. 

Google Slides is a versatile way for teachers and students to create, collaborate, and present. There’s a lot you can do with Google Slides beyond a standard oral presentation.

Many teachers and students enjoy embedding their Google Slides presentations into a blog post or page. Sharing work with an authentic audience yields many benefits!

How are you using Google Slides?

Do you have any tips or examples to share?

Do you have any questions about Google Slides?

Leave a comment below. We’d love to hear from you.

Further Reading

You might also be interested in reading:

A Beginner’s Guide To Google Photos

Canva In The Classroom: Getting Started, Example Designs, And Tips!

Six Tools To Create Interactive Learning Content On Your Blog

Share This Post:

15 thoughts on “ a beginner’s guide to google slides in the classroom ”.

I love using Slides. I sent a Google slide presentation last week to my students via Google classroom and a few students couldn’t open it. It verified I had shared. Have you heard about this issue before?

Hi! I sent out several google slides for my student to do, alphabet work. When I go in as him, I can see that he did the activity, but there is no turn in button.

Hi Andrea, I assume this is a Google Classroom issue? I haven’t used Google Classroom before so I’m sorry I can’t help!

Is there a way to present Google Slides on individual student chromebooks through Google so that I am controlling the pace of the presentation?

Good question, I’m unsure about that, however, there are lots of users on Twitter who might know. If you use Twitter you could try reaching out to someone like @JakeMillerTech @EricCurts. They’re great with things like this. Good luck!

Once you learn how to use Google Slides, I have a whole section about the other useful features of Google Suites – Work smarter not harder

http://asoundmind.edublogs.org/2019/04/03/ingenuitys-arts-education-conference-resources-4519/

Good Source to learn Google Slides!

Great for students trying to learn google slides, simplifies the entire process and just makes it so much easier to understand.

this is such a great source to help with google docs lots of descriptions and videos.

What an awesome resource! Is it ok if I share the link this information with my staff during a tutorial on Google Slides? Please and thank you!

Hi Jean, We appreciate any sharing. Thanks!

This is a great introduction to google slides! I can definitely use the directions for adding google slides to a blog! This should make it much easier. Thanks!

Thank you for this great insight. I am currently studying technology and how to effectively implement it in the classroom.

This is very helpful and informative especially since I am currently taking a computer class.

So glad it helps!

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30+ tips and tricks to make Google Slides presentation look good

Home 30+ tips and tricks to make Google Slides presentation look good

Let’s face it, it’s no fun to look at a slide with heavy texts and overcrowded images. It leaves the audience bored and disinterested. It’s very important for your Google Slides presentation to look good in order to have your audience on board. You don’t need to be a designer to learn how to make aesthetic google slides. You can make some basic editing and formatting easily in Google Slides presentation to take it to the next level. In this article, we present some amazing hacks to have a killer presentation that leaves the audience in awe.

Be prepared for a bonus at the end!

Use Google Slides layouts wisely

1. customize slide layouts.

Every presentation needs to follow a basic layout which is regular throughout. Google Slides have a set of layout and theme options to choose from. But in case you wish to edit certain elements, you are free to do it. This will make the presentation truly yours. Click here for a complete guide on using layouts any fresher can use.

2. Use pretty backgrounds for Google Slides

Most of the professional presentations contain a lot of jargon-heavy information written in plain texts on plain backgrounds. Instead, include a transparent or mild background to support your text. The background can either be related to the story or just a plain color wall that goes with the text font and the context.

3. Draw attention with dark background

Audience gets tired of looking at bright colors all day. So, using a dark background not only catches their attention, but is also pleasant for the eyes. But remember to use the matte finish or mild colors for text with the dark background.

4. Try black and white theme to look professional

Often, a black and white theme stands out both because of the professionalism it conveys. This keeps your presentation minimal in appearance and adds to the authenticity of your delivery. But you should be careful not to make it look boring.

5. Use the Master Slides tool

Any change you make in the master slide will automatically reflect on all other slides. Customize the master slide first so that you can save time. You can modify backgrounds, rearrange placeholders, or change theme for the whole presentation with Master slides tool.

6. Keep it minimal

Don’t go fancy with the designs and fonts, keep it minimal. Overcrowding the slides with bulky texts and images or vibrant colors is not a good idea. It will distract the audience and make the presentation look unprofessional.

How to make Google Slides look good with Images

1. use shape masks to make creative images.

Using regular shapes like square and rectangle for images can get boring. To make it interesting, give different shapes to the images.

How to use shape masks in Google Slides:

Select the image you want to apply a shape mask on. Crop the image to the size you want. In crop tool, go to Shapes and choose a shape from the drop-down menu.

2. How to import images from the web

Adding relevant and catchy images make your google slides aesthetic. But you may not have the perfect image to go with the slide. In that case, you can directly download the picture from Google without leaving the tab.

How to import Google images into Google Slides:

Go to Insert >> Image >> Search the web >> Type in the name of the image you want. Or, go to Explore section and Google directly from the Slides tab.

3. Reflect your images if it suits the context

This will be a really cool effect, especially for slides with a single important image. Reflecting your images is a creative way to grab the attention with a single slide. But, this is a bit outdated feature, so it’s better to avoid for professional presentations.

How to reflect an image in Google Slides:

Select an image. Go to Format options and tick the box next to Reflection. Use the slider to adjust the size and transparency.

4. Make the image transparent

Another tip is to adjust the transparency of your image rather than adding a plain image. Plus, you can write relevant text on top of a transparent image.

How to make an image transparent in Google Slides:

Right-click on the picture and go to Formats option. Go to Adjustments >> Transparency. Adjust the transparency as per your requirements.

5. Resize and rotate shapes and images

When you import an image from the web, it might not be the right size for your slides. Google Slides allows you to resize and rotate the images and shapes.

To resize a picture, simply select the picture and move the cursor to bring to the desired size. To rotate an image, click the picture and choose Arrange. Then, click Rotate and select the preferred orientation. Avoid these while using images in Google Slides presentation: Though there are a hundred things you can do to your image, overdoing it will beat the point of making your Google Slides presentation look good. Following are some of the things you should avoid so that the slides look professional.

Using blurry or irrelevant pictures. Stretching or cropping the image more than necessary Low resolution images Watermarked images Not adding citations while using a picture you don’t own Crowding the slides with pictures Using reflection or transparency settings in all the images

Make your Google Slides presentation interactive

1. use the interactive q&a tool.

Having a Q&A section at the end helps you clear any doubts your audience might have. You can make it more interesting by using the Q&A tool. The audience don’t have to wait till the end of the presentation, they can type in the question whenever they want.

How to use the Q&A tool:

During your presentation, activate the Q&A feature by clicking on the Q&A tool. Audience sees a weblink where they can submit their questions. You can answer them at the end of the presentation. You can check the past questions by going to Tools >> Q&A history

2. Create a timeline

In many business presentations, you might need to present the progress of a project and timeline is an important part of it. It is easy to understand and remember. This can be used for interactions and discussions with the audience.

How to create timeline in Google Slides:

Go to Insert >> Diagram This shows a list of different types of timeline templates in built with Google Slides. Choose the one you like and edit it for your data.

Color schemes for your Google Slides presentation

1. edit theme colors.

Every Google Slide theme you choose comes with a pre-set color scheme. However, you can customize the theme according to the color you prefer.

Go to Slide >> Edit Theme Choose a color from the drop-down menu. Here’s a guide on choosing the right color for your Google Slides presentation.

2. Use color split

Using two different colors on the same slide is visually appealing. Make sure you use complementary colors like yellow and blue. For example, if you are using a blue background, use orange color for the texts.

3. Create a color overlay

Color overlay is a technique to make transparent shapes appear on your images or text. You can either apply it to the whole slide or a part of it.

Go to Insert >> Shape Choose a shape if you want to overlay only a part of your slide. Place the selected shape on the slide. Click on the shape and go to Fill colors and choose the color you want. Avoid these while choosing colors for your Google Slides presentation: While adding colors in a smart way can grab the audience’s attention, there are certain rules you should stick to while using them. Here is a small list of things to avoid in order to make your Google Slides look good.

Using multiple bold colors in a single slide Using same color for theme and texts Not sticking to your brand colors Using bright colors for reflection of images or texts. Overusing color gradient

Tips for text in Google Slides presentation

1. try different font attributes.

No one is going to read all the text in your presentation. So, you can highlight the parts which you want to stress on. You can make the text bold, italics, or underlined.

2. Research the top text fonts to use in Google Slides

There are a number of text fonts available in Google Slides, but not all of them make it to a professional presentation deck. So, it’s very important to know the most preferred text fonts to use in Google Slides.

Here are the 5 top text fonts:

Open sans Montserrat Cabin Ubuntu Lato

3. Use text box to have neat texts

Texts randomly strewn across the slides can be distracting for your audience. So, use a text box to have the texts placed in a neat way. You can also align your texts to left, right or centered to make it look professional.

4. Add a drop shadow to the text

Another way to make your texts look interesting is to use a drop shadow effect for Google Slides. However, if you lack experience in designing, we suggest you not to use this effect.

How to add drop shadow:

Select the text you want to use drop shadow on. Go to Format and check the box near Drop Shadow. Use the slider to adjust blur, transparency, and angle.

5. Add the technical terms to your personal dictionary

There might be terminologies or names that are specific to your topic, which may come off as spelling errors. In slides, they may appear in red and you may lose your credibility. To remove this, you can add those terms to the personal dictionary.

Go to Tools >> Personal dictionary Add the technical terms. They will no longer be shown as spelling errors. Common mistakes people make in Google Slides text: While the above features can make your text professional and easy to read, most people miss out on the basics.

Omitting indentation Wrong alignment of text on the slide Using very large or very small texts Not proofreading for typos Inadequate spacing between texts or lines.

Include infographics in Google Slides presentation

1. experiment with different types of diagrams.

If you have a lot of data to present, it’s better to present as graphs or charts instead of pulling off large sheets of data. There are different types of graphs you can use like line graph, bar graph, histogram, pie chart, etc. So, use them in your presentation. This adds credibility to your work and presentation.

2. Let your graph speak for itself

This means you must label, highlight or add everything in the graph such that anyone can analyze it. A single graph with right labels and arrows to show the trend can convey the meaning much better than large amount of texts or spreadsheets.

Add animation to make Google Slides presentation attractive

1. add subtle animation effects on texts.

If you have a lot of information to share on a single slide, use animations to delay some texts instead of displaying everything at a time. This works well for bullet points where you can display one point after another.

2. Add a GIF or a meme

One of the main reasons why presentations are boring is the lack of fun element. Adding a GIF or a relatable meme is not only funny, but helps you put the message across easily. It is an effortless attention grabber.

But you have to make sure it gets added as an animated GIF rather than a still image. For this, the following steps will help:

Find the GIF in Google and copy the image address. Go to Google Slides >> Image >> by URL Paste the URL and click Insert. Remember you have to insert the image by URL for it to play.

3. Add trimmed videos in Google Slides

People recollect visuals better than written text. So, if there is a video on YouTube which can explain what you want to convey, use it. But instead of including the full video, you can add only the relevant part by using the embed option.

4. Use transitions for slides

Adding smooth transition effects for individual slides helps in keeping the flow. The most recommended transition effects to use in a professional presentation are dissolve, fade in, slide from the left, fly in from bottom and fly in from left to right.

Go to Insert >> Animation Select a transition from the available options. Apply to a single slide or all slides, as you wish.

Are you terrified by the amount of effort you have to put in researching about fonts, choosing best colors and get the formatting perfect? This can be time-consuming if you designing is not your biggest flex.

Don’t worry! Here’s the good news!!

You can skip all these steps and still have an amazing presentation deck if you use professional templates!

Use Google Slides presentation templates

Making a presentation from the scratch is wasted time and energy which could be spent on crafting the story you want to convey. That’s why we bring to you the best presentation templates to help you tell your story in your unique way. SlideKit has professional templates designed by experts and you can customize it according to your needs. This can be installed as an add-on in Google Slides for free. It ensures consistency of aspects like font, theme, color scheme and layout used throughout the deck.

SlideKit has slides in the business and other professional domains which you can download, edit and use for free. Premium membership gives you access to 3500+ templates over 35+ niches. Using these templates will make your Google Slides presentation stand out. Here are a few tips to make the most out of SlideKit’s professional google slides templates .

1. Customize the templates

The presentation deck you choose will have all the design and infographic elements you need; but you need to customize them according to your data and your preferred color and font. In SlideKit, you can add images, videos, or hyperlinks, and place them wherever you want on the slide. Additionally, you can acquire hyperlinks from other websites to your own which is referred as niche edits .

2. Use niche-specific templates

There are templates available for different domains, so choose the one that fits your industry. Templates are perfect for branding since they come with placeholders for logo, letterhead, contact details and website address. But it’s important to choose the one that is aligned with the industry. SlideKit makes it easier for you by giving you a variety of industry-specific options to choose from. Moreover, incorporating effective SEO strategies , such as optimizing presentation titles, using relevant keywords, and providing quality content, can significantly enhance the online visibility of your Google Slides presentations, making them more accessible to your target audience and boosting overall engagement.

3. Plug in your data to relevant infographics

As mentioned before, including graphs and charts is beneficial for both you and your audience. Depending on the domain, SlideKit offers relevant infographics which can be customized according to your data. You can change the labels, legends, scale and figures, among many other features.

Now you have the best resources and tools to make your Google Slides presentation look compelling.

Happy presenting!

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31 of the best class presentation tips for students

Katie September 20, 2022 communication , grades

By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed.

Giving class presentations is just part of the school experience. Some students dread presenting to their classmates, and others prefer class presentations to written assessments. If you’re new to this, or if you’re just looking for some ideas, I share my best class presentation tips for students in the post below. 

Class presentations often involve a visual component, and an audio and delivery component. The tips in this post are for class presentations that involve SLIDES, such as Google Slides or PowerPoint. Therefore, I break down the class presentation tips for students into the following categories:

• text and content
• Audio and delivery class presentation tips
• Bonus class presentation tips to up-level your game

Class presentation tips for VISUALS

The following tips will enhance the visual component of your school presentation. The strategies are further categorized by format, text, and images.

Class presentation tips for slide FORMAT 

The visual format of your presentation must be clear and easy to read.

1. Use a slide deck.

This class presentation tip is obvious, but I can’t leave it off the list. If you’re presenting to your fellow students, you will need some kind of visual representation of the information you’re delivering. Very rarely will you present to your class without slides. Google Slides and PowerPoint are the two primary products to make slides. 

2. Use the right number of slides.

Class presentations in high school and college will likely be 5 minutes or less. Follow your teacher’s guidelines, of course, but generally, students will use 1-2 slides per minute. (That would be 5-10 slides for a 5-minute presentation.)

3. Use an appropriate slide template and theme.

PowerPoint and Google Slides come with default slide templates (themes). Most of the default templates are suitable for class presentations, and so you should be fine choosing one of those. You can also find templates on the free version of Canva. I like slidesgo.com for free templates (it’s not sketchy – I’ve personally used it. I also like SlidesCarnival.com but you have to import the templates into Canva first, and then export them from Canva into Google Slides or PowerPoint. 

4. Use clear fonts.

Pick your font based on clarity, not creativity. Your audience should be able to read your text effortlessly and from the back of the classroom. Here are some rules:

• Avoid cursive / script fonts
• Avoid writing in all capital letters
• Avoid fonts that are entirely in italics (slanted)

5. Use a maximum of two fonts.

Stick to two fonts: one for headings and titles, and one for body text. More than two fonts make your slides hard to read.

6. Use 3-4 colors.

Stick to a basic color palette of no more than four colors. It’s fine to use images that are outside your color scheme, but besides images, avoid too many colors. Most default templates stick to four colors or less, so you’re safe if you use a pre-made template. 

7. Use high-contrast text-on-background combinations.

Your text needs to stand out from the background color. Black font on a white background or white font on a black background provides the highest contrast and best readability. This website here provides excellent information and examples about color combinations.

Class presentation tips for slide TEXT and CONTENT

8. start with a simple title slide..

Your teacher will likely require a title slide in the syllabus. Even if it’s not required, make one anyway. A title slide should be simple: the name of the presentation, your name, and a simple graphic or image. 

9. Include a roadmap slide.

A roadmap slide (I made up that term, but it works) is like a table of contents. It tells your classmates what they will learn from your presentation. Even if your presentation is only 6 slides long, a roadmap slide can be helpful. Below is an example. 

10. Include enough white space.

White space is the blank space that doesn’t contain text or images. White space is very important for readability. In the image below, you can see the impact white space has on readability. 

11. Use bullet points.

Whenever possible, use bullet points instead of complete sentences. Most slides should include no more than 5-6 bullet points. If you need to say more, continue the bullet points on another slide.

12. Leave some text off the slides.

Your slides should include minimal to moderate text that you will elaborate on during your class presentation. In other words, don’t cram the slides full of everything you want to share on the topic. The only exception to this rule is if you are not verbally presenting to the class, but are instead just sharing the slides with your classmates to view on their own.

13. Include examples.

Examples make most things clearer. When possible, include an example for all your main points. 

14. Include statistics and other quantitative information.

Use numbers in place of text when you can. Numbers and statistics can be easier for your audience to process. Example below:

• Instead of saying this: There is one-third as many Giant Pandas living in 2020 as there were in 2014.
• Say this: Giant Panda population in 2140 = 1864 | Giant Panda population in 2020 = 600 [ source ]

15. Include a summary slide

Consider adding a final summary slide to your class presentation. This is an excellent strategy because it will increase your audience’s understanding of your main points. The text on this slide should be in bullet-point format. The information on this slide might align with the information on your roadmap slide.

Class presentation tips for slide IMAGES

16. include an image or graphical element on each slide..

Every slide should have some kind of graphical element to complement the text. Some slides might even have an image and no text. (You would explain the image in your verbal presentation to the class.) Note: be sure to cite all images.

17. Use images / graphics for illustration and emphasis, not decoration .

Avoid using images for decoration. Images and graphics should do one of the following:

• Add something valuable to the text
• Illustrate the idea on the slide
• Represent the idea on the slide
• Emphasize an element of the slide (such as underlines, stars, etc.)

18. Resize and reformat images.

Resize images and graphics to fit the scale of your slide. It should be big enough to see clearly, but still allow for plenty of white space (Class Presentation Tip #10). You can remove the background of an image using a mobile app, or something like the paid version of Canva or PicMonkey. Again, be sure to cite your images.

19. Use video when appropriate.

If your presentation calls for it, include short video clips. Only use video if it adds value. 

20. Use icons for emphasis.

Use icons like stars, 3D shapes, speech bubbles, and arrows to emphasize important text. Keep these icons within your color scheme. You can find free icons within Google Slides and PowerPoint, or you can use Google Images or Canva.

21. Use graphs and charts.

Too much text is confusing. Too many images is boring. Solve this problem by using pie charts, bar graphs and other graphical ways of representing data.

Class presentation tips for SPEAKING

You might have the best slides in the class, but your presentation is not complete until you deliver it to your classmates. The following tips are for improving your audio and delivery.

22. Never read directly from the slides.

Use the slides as a reference, but don’t read word-for-word. How do you do this? First change to the next slide. Then look at it for cues. Next, speak directly to your classmates, making eye contact as your speak. It’s okay to glance back at the slide if you need to.

23. Face your audience.

Your body should always face the audience. Stand or sit either straight on, or at a 45-degree angle. Never have your body square to the presentation screen.

24. Explain the images.

When you present each slide, you should spend some time on the text and some time on the images. If your images add value (which they should), then this should be simple to do.

25. Speak slowly and clearly.

Speak slower than you naturally speak. Practice difficult words until they are smooth.

26. Use verbal transitions between topics.

When you change topics, use transition expressions such as “Next, we are going to look at …” or “Now, let’s move on to …”

27. Practice more than you want to.

Practicing your class presentation over and over improves your delivery and increases your confidence. Practice in front of the mirror, in front of others, or in front of your camera (to be watched later, of course).

Bonus class presentation tips for students: How to up-level your game 

The following bonus tips are for students looking to take their class presentations to the next level. Keep in mind that some of the ideas below are best suited for college and university students.

28. Provide a printed note-catcher.

An engaged audience is the best audience. To increase your classmates’ active focus, provide each student a printed note-catcher they can use to follow along with your presentation. PowerPoint and Google Slides both have features that enable you to print out your presentation with the slides on the left and space to take notes on the right. 

29. Ask questions and survey your classmates.

Another way to engage your audience is by asking them questions. You can build these questions into the slides themselves, or you can pause your presentation to ask questions before moving to a slide with the answers.

30. Use the Speaker Notes section .

The text on your slides should vary from the words you speak to your classmates during your presentation. Either you practice your presentation so much that you memorize it, or you use the Speaker Notes section on PowerPoint or Google Slides.

31. Open with a question, and close with an answer . 

A great class presentation tip for students is to open with a question you pose to your classmates at the beginning, and then close with the answer. You could put the question on its own opening slide and then close with another slide that re-poses the question and features the answer. 

For example, if you are presenting on Susan B. Anthony, your question could be Who was Susan B. Anthony? and the answer – which is the point of your presentation – could be Susan B. Anthony was one of America’s greatest champions for freedom and equality of women and slaves. College-level presentations would have more complex question-and-answer pairings than this example, but you get the idea.

Class presentation tips for students – summary notes

It’s important to follow your teacher’s requirements when creating your class presentation. Use these tips and strategies to maximize your grade, impression on the class, and your content delivery – but always consult your syllabus first. 

And finally, the greatest tip of all is to PRACTICE. In Tip #27 I emphasize the importance of practicing more than you want to. Watch TED talks and other notable speakers to see how smooth they speak – these presenters have practiced the same presentation hundreds of times. Practice is the key.

More resources

• How to ask for help in school: 4 tips for self-advocacy
• What to do when you’re confused in class
• 5 life skills all students need to be functional adults

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• Presentations

20+ (Quick) Tips & Tricks to Use Google Slides Like a Professional in 2024

Google Slides is great for creating a professional presentation. Even if you know the basics of how to use Google Slides, you may not realize everything it can do. 

There are plenty of killer techniques you can use to save time. And with them, you can make an even bigger impact with your Google Slides presentation. But you can't use them if you don't know them! Google Slides ideas save you a ton of time.

In this article, we share 20 pro Google Slides tips to help you get the most out of using Google Slides. Learn how to make Google Slides look good with these cool Google Slides tricks.

Guide to Making Great Presentations (Free eBook Download)

Before going further, be sure to grab our free eBook:  The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . You'll learn to take an initial idea through to writing, design, and delivering with impact.

To learn more about the basics of Google Slides, check out our comprehensive  Google Slides tutorial series . 

If you want to learn how to make your Google Slides look professional, don't feel as if you've got to take it on yourself. Instead, trust others with starting points for your presentation design. Think of each slide as being full of Google Slides tips for great designs.

Quick Google Slides Ideas to Use Today (Quickstart Video)

Are you wondering how to make a good presentation on Google Slides? Do you want some quick tips you can use right away? We've outlined some of the best tips in the video below:

For even more Google Slides presentation ideas, review the list below.

Jump to content in this section:

Tip 1. Use a Pro Google Slides Template

Tip 2. cut & paste a slide from one presentation to another, tip 3. master the master slides tool, tip 4. dictate your presentation text, tip 5. use an image as a background, tip 6. put an image in a shape, tip 7. engage with audiences using the q&a tool, tip 8. add sound to your presentation, tip 9. to collaborate, share your presentation, tip 10. make your google slides look good - quickly, tip 11. add technical terms to the personal dictionary, tip 12. go back to an earlier version of your presentation, tip 13. embed your presentation in a website, tip 14. play your presentation using chromecast, tip 15. learn google slides keyboard shortcuts, tip 16. make your text more stylish, tip 17. import your existing powerpoint presentations, tip 18. use highly specialized templates, tip 19. add a gif for fun motion images, tip 20. print your finished slides, tip 21. set up slide timing for slick delivery, 20+ (quick) tips & tricks to use google slides like a professional.

Ready to become a Google Slides expert? Let's dive into these powerful tips to using Google Slides like a pro:

A template is a great way to get a professional look for your Google Slides presentation. It helps you avoid having to spend a ton of time with design - and you don't have to hire a pricey designer. 

Luckily, one of my favorite Google Slides tips is this: outsource the design work to someone else. 

To use a presentation template or theme, first rename it. Then, find some slides you like and type over them with your own information. You can quickly delete the template slides you don't need, use those you do, and add your own custom photos and info.

Learn how to make a good presentation on Google Slides by changing themes here:

Need premium templates for your Google Slides presentation ideas? Envato Elements has you covered, with thousands of options to choose from. Or you can explore some of our very best Google Slides theme ideas in this feature article:

If you give a lot of presentations, you may find yourself in a situation where you want to re-use a slide from one presentation in another. Don't recreate the slide—there's a better way.

You can copy a single slide from one presentation to another. Or you can copy a single slide from a theme or template. This can be a huge time-saver if you create a lot of presentations.

Here's what to do:

Open the Google Slides file with the slide you want. Click the desired slide and Ctrl + C to copy it to the clipboard.

In the example below, I'm copying a slide from a theme into an existing presentation:

Open the presentation you're creating. Click on the slide before where you want to insert the copied slide. Click Ctrl + V to paste the copied slide from the clipboard to the new presentation:

Edit and change the copied slide, as needed, from within your presentation.

Ever wanted to change an element in your Google Slides presentation in bulk? This happens when a piece of content appears on many slides in the deck. 

In this case, you may be trying to change something that's defined on a master slide or master layout. Master slides and layouts can be changed, but to do so you've got to open the Master Slides tool:

All content shown on the master slide is shown across the full Slides presentation. Changes you make on a master layout affect all other slides using that layout.

It's important to learn how to use Google Slides' powerful Master Slides tool. For all you need to know about the Master Slides tool, study this helpful Google Slides tutorial:

For computers with a microphone, use your voice to dictate speaker notes in your presentation. Here's how:

Make sure your microphone is turned on. Click in the Speaker Notes section of your screen. Select Tools > Voice type speaker notes .

The Microphone icon appears on your screen:

Click the Microphone icon and begin speaking. Your text is added to the speaker notes as you talk:

When you've finished, click the microphone icon again to turn voice typing off. Click the X in the upper right corner of the icon to close it.

Images add a lot to a presentation. An image can illustrate a point, often better than words can. An image also adds interest to a slide and draws in your audience. An image can even be used symbolically to represent an important concept.

But you can do more with images than simply put them onto your slides. A background image can help make your presentation be more visually appealing. And it's easier to use an image as a background in Google Slides than you might think.

This is one of the best Google Slides presentation ideas because it's both easy and stylish! Here are complete instructions on how to use an image as a background:

You can find an assortment of pro quality, royalty-free images  on Envato Elements. Along with stunning photos, you also get access to templates, fonts and more! All are included with your flat monthly rate. 

We've already discussed the importance of using images in your Google Slides presentation to add interest. We've also explored how to use a photo as a background.

But background images are just one cool thing that you can do with photos in Google Slides. Another trick that many presenters don't know about is the ability to import an image into a shape.

To set your presentation apart with images embedded in shapes, learn how to do it in our Google Slides tutorial on working with images:

Google Slides has a neat feature that allows you to accept questions as you present. This tool can also be helpful for live webinars.

You can activate the Q&A feature in Google Slides when you're using Presenter View. It's in the Audience Tools section.

This is one of the winning Google Slides presentation ideas because it really boosts engagement. You can use it to connect with your audiences in new, creative ways! 

Audiences will see a URL on your slides. When they click it, they'll be able to type questions for you to answer. It's a powerful Google Slides idea to fuel collaboration. And it's how to make a good presentation on Google Slides even better!

Audio brings new life to your Google Slides presentation. And it's amazingly easy to add. You can use the Insert > Audio dropdown. I like to add music for a fun background for my presentation. Or you can import spoken audio tracks to bring new voices to your slides.

The following Google Slides tutorial takes you through the process in detail:

Collaboration is a great way to make sure your Google Slides presentation is the best it can be. The give and take of ideas often results in a higher quality end product.

Google Slides allows you to share your presentation with others. After all, that's what presentations are really all about! Once you put your Google Slides design ideas into action, share them with others all around the globe. Using the Share button to share your presentation:

On the Share menu, you can also control who can access your slide deck - and what they can do. You can give them access to simply view slides.

Or you can optionally allow comments or even full edits to be made. The choice is totally up to you! Use the dropdown menu in the General Access section to control these settings.

You've already seen it earlier in this tutorial, but I can't say it enough: to learn how to make your Google Slides look professional, use a template . When you use a template, you don't have to learn the app entirely on your own.

Starting with a template is like having a guide to creating a great presentation. Open it up and instantly, you see Google Slides tips in the form of pre-built slides. They're already perfectly laid out and ready for your content.

To learn more about how to customize your Google Slides presentation, check out these two tutorials below. They're loaded with advice on how to make Google Slides look good:

Under the Tools > Spelling menu option, choose Show spelling suggestions. When this option is selected, possible spelling errors show up underlined with red.

But Google's spellcheck isn't perfect. Often company-specific terms, names, and abbreviations show up with the red underline.

To fix this, go to Tools > Personal dictionary . Add your specific terms. They'll no longer be flagged as possible spelling errors:

If you later decide to remove a term from your personal dictionary, open it up again. 

Click the trash can icon to the right of the term you want to delete and click OK.

As you put your Google Slides presentation ideas to use, odds are you'll make many changes to your slides. So, what happens if you want to go back to an earlier version? You can't always get there by pressing Undo . And you certainly don't want to redo your work again.

Fortunately, all your Google Slides theme ideas are logged. You can easily revert to an earlier version of the deck. Here's how.

Go to File > Version history > See version history. When you click this, Google Slides will launch the Version history sidebar. On it, you'll see a list of all the versions of your slide deck from the past.

To revert to an earlier version, click the three vertical dots next to one of the revisions. Then, choose Restore this version. You'll be asked to confirm your choice, and when you do, your slides will go back to the old version. It's that easy!

Use the File > Share > Publish to web menu option to embed a slide presentation on your website.

Publishing a Google Slides presentation means that someone can see it with only a link. ( As opposed to sharing a presentation, where a user must be logged into Google Drive to see your presentation. Also, note that those who view a published presentation cannot edit or make comments. )

Here's the Publish to the web dialog box:

As you can see from the image above, you can also define the following aspects of your published presentations:

• Google Slides slide size
• how often the slide auto-advances
• when the slideshow starts
• whether the slideshow loops

Chromecast allows you to share a presentation from an Android mobile device if you've got a Chromecast device available and set up. You also need to have a Google Home app on your mobile device, available WIFI, and be using the Google Chrome browser.

The Chromecast device plugs into the monitor you want to use. It even works with some Smart TVs.

When you open your Chromecast app, it looks for nearby Chromecast devices. Select the correct device, enter your password, and name your Chromecast. Select the Google Slides presentation you wish to stream to the TV or monitor. Then, click on the Chromecast button to stream your presentation.

For more information, here are Google's instructions for using Chromecast.

Did you know that Google Slides has keyboard shortcuts? If you use Google Slides often, learning and using keyboard shortcuts can save a lot of time.

Find the keyboard shortcuts at the Help > Keyboard shortcuts menu option. Here's a screenshot of some the available shortcuts for Google Slides:

The shortcuts are arranged by functionality. To see the shortcuts for a specific functionality, click on that functionality in the list on the left.

Don’t worry about memorizing all the keyboard shortcuts at once. Instead, focus on those that you’ll use the most! They’re quick, powerful ways to bring your Google Slides design ideas to life. They’re how to use Google Slides ideas even faster.

Text really forms the centerpiece of your Google Slides theme ideas. By featuring your words in creative ways, you can keep your audience focused. Similarly, you can call attention to key aspects and details that need special focus.

For example, you can change font size and type, as described in this basic Google Slides tutorial: 

But you'll find that Google Slides offers an array of other text effects.  These Google Slides design ideas bring your fonts and text to life. For example, you can add bolds, italics, and underlines. These are three basic ways to add emphasis to a given bit of text.

Plus, Google Slides makes it easy to change the font color. To do that, select text like you see below, then choose a new shade from the Text color menu. Prefer to highlight? Google Slides offers that as well.

One more thing for Google Slides ideas for text: you can add new fonts! This opens up limitless Google Slides presentation ideas. Learn how here:

One of the most daunting elements of learning a new piece of software is the extra effort needed. Already familiar with a tool like Microsoft PowerPoint? Switching to Google Slides may sound like it represents extra work.

Luckily, Google has done a great job by building in backward compatibility. You can upload your PowerPoint presentations and use them in Google Slides. This offers key advantages. First, you can work with your favorite slide decks instantly. And it opens up a wider world of templates. Any PowerPoint slide template or deck works in Google Slides.

Use the tutorial below to see the Google Slides tips and tricks to convert your PowerPoint presentation. It gives you thousands more options for Google Slides presentation ideas.

I already recommended using Google Slides templates to build great presentations. There are hundreds of great Google Slides presentations for specific themes and topics. These Google Slides theme ideas are beyond what you could imagine on your own.

I like to divide Google Slides presentation designs into two categories: general purpose and specialized.  These templates show you how to use Google Slides ideas, rapidly.

Check out the three roundups below to see Google Slides designs that are for specific purposes:

GIF images have certainly grown in popularity in recent years, so why not consider adding one to your next Google Slides presentation?

The Google Slides tutorial below can help you add a GIF to your next presentation. Learn how to upload your own GIFs or source them to add motion imagery to your upcoming Google Slides presentation.

Even if your slides will be delivered on-screen, it helps to have printed copies that you keep at the ready. I always print my slides before presenting to give me a copy to proofread. There's something about seeing your slides on paper that can help you catch errors you might have otherwise missed.

When printing your presentation, try to save as much paper and ink as possible. Use the Google Slides tutorial below to print your slides for the most efficiency!

The very best presentations use automatic transitions for a powerful delivery. If you have the time, consider setting up slide timings. It's a Google Slides idea that you and your audience will both appreciate! 

The traditional model for presentations is to use a "clicker" or mouse to advance slides. But automating slide timings can lead to smoother transitions and slide progressions.

If you can nail the delivery, auto-advancing slides and effects is an amazing effect. It lets you focus on your message, instead of worrying about the mechanics as you share. It's how to make a good presentation on Google Slides look great in front of your audience. 

Learn more about setting up slide timings in the Google Slides tutorial below: 

5 Top Google Slides Presentation Design Trends for 2024

As you build your next Google Slides presentation, think about embracing some of the top trends for your slides in 2024. These are surefire ways to help you build better slide decks. That means it’s easier than ever to engage with your audience! 

Let’s explore five of these top Google Slides tips today:

1. Highly Visual Slides

Wondering how to make Google Slides look good? Embrace a popular trend: highly visual slides . Whether it’s bright colors, photos, or even charts and graphs, visually engaging slides are built to capture audience focus.

It helps to think of slides as visual aids. You shouldn’t be simply reading text. Instead, use slides to illustrate the key points you’re talking about. Audiences will thank you. More importantly, they’ll remember and understand what you said later.

2. Short and Sweet Slide Decks

You can use all the cool Google Slide tricks in the book, but brevity is growing ever more important. Most of us lead busy lives, with many demands on our time. No one wants to sit through a lengthy, rambling presentation. 

The best Google Slides presentations today are short and sweet. They focus on a few key points, driving home their message clearly and concisely. See more tips in our design guide:

3. Making Data Visual With Infographics

Infographics are illustrations designed to visualize data. That makes them ideal tools to use when creating professional presentations.

Infographics like this merge information and graphics to form compelling visuals. This helps audiences form a mental image of your big ideas. They look great on big screens, and are increasingly recognized as far superior to dull, text-heavy slides.

4. Use a Memorable Design When It Fits

Many times, your presentation design should fit in and not be too bright or loud. But when you've got room to experiment, don't be afraid to use a memorable design.

If the content is a bit flat, you can make up for it with an advanced template. Bright color schemes, graphics, and backgrounds are more likely to stick to your audience.

The article below has 20 of the best unique designs for when being forgotten simply isn't an option.

5. Bringing Apps and Websites to Life With Mockups

Sure, you can say you've got a website or app. But that’s no substitute for showing it off. That’s where device mockup templates come in. Device mockups are illustrations of real devices like notebooks, tablets, phones, watches, and more.

By combining a professional device mockup template and a screenshot image, you bring your online platform to life in a realistic way. Thanks to Google Slides and custom templates like this one from Envato Elements, it takes only seconds to create your own device mockups.

How To Make Google Slides Look Good (With Envato Elements)

Before we dive into the top Google Slides tips, we want to show you a resource that's helped many creatives give their best presentation ever. Think of these as pre-built Google Slides theme ideas. 

Envato Elements is an all-you-can-download service with the best Google Slides templates . These templates are full of pre-built designs that show you how to make your Google Slides look professional. Just open them and fill them out with your specifics.

Find Google Slides Templates

Envato Elements includes many extras.  Here are other assets, all included, that help you see how to make a good presentation on Google Slides:

• Stock photos . The perfect way to fill out a bare slide, there are over one million stock photos for a flat rate.
• Graphics and illustrations . Including infographics that help you explain concepts and ideas.
• Background music . To set the tone while your presentation plays.

Advantages of Using Google Slides vs PowerPoint

Already entrenched in using a popular presentation software like Keynote or PowerPoint? You might be wondering why it's worth learning yet another tool. Luckily, there are good reasons to do exactly that! We've explored many in our list of Google Slides design ideas above.

Using Google Slides gives you more features (and improved functionality) anywhere. And that makes it worth your consideration.

Some of my favorite features in Google Slides include:

• Collaboration. Sure, every presentation software has implemented some version of this functionality. But Google Slides just does it better, with real-time collaboration and easy chat built into the app.
• Low switching cost. You can import and export your presentations to PowerPoint format. Thus, there's no "switching cost" of jumping between the apps. Other apps require long term commitments to formats. But Slides gives you freedom to experiment.
• Always backed up. Embracing the cloud means that you don't have to worry about how you store your presentations. It also gives you version control to jump back and forth between revisions. 

Check out the presentation app comparison below. It includes a full and complete Google Slides vs PowerPoint review.

More Professional Google Slides Template Resources for 2024

One of my favorite Google Slides tricks is to let others design your presentation.  You've already seen Envato Elements, an all-you-can-download service for sourcing Google Slides presentations. When you use premium templates, you'll save time while benefitting from stunning styles.

These designs assist you in learning how to make a good presentation on Google Slides. Let's look at three of the best Google Slides presentation templates from Elements: 

Vexana is far from a neutral and flat Google Slides presentation. The bright and flashy colors are sure to grab the attention of your audience. Use this contrasty presentation to set the tone early when you're presenting.

My favorite Google Slides tip is that you should choose templates that you can use over and over. When you download a template like Arara, the flexibility of the template helps you to use it for many presentations. Just drop in your details and you'll bring your content to life!

A pitch deck is a presentation that's designed to launch your company or idea to success. Manola is the perfect presentation that includes all the Google Slides essentials for a pitch deck. Use this template to get the investor or potential employee support to get your company off the ground.

For even more outstanding templates that can help you master how to use Google Slides, check out the roundup below:

Also, learn more about using Google Slides in our ultimate tutorial series on  How to Use Google Slides .

Learn All About How to Make Great Presentations (Free PDF eBook)

Take the knowledge you gained in this Google Slides tutorial further. Download our eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . Grab this PDF Download now for Free with your subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter.

It'll help walk you through the complete presentation process. Learn how to write your presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully.

Learn More Techniques to Use Google Slides Effectively

Pros use cool Google Slides tricks to design their best presentations in less time. If you're still learning how to make a good presentation on Google Slides, we've got you covered with a special series.

Our resource  How to Use Google Slides (Ultimate Tutorial Guide)  is the single best source for Google Slides tips. Check out three tutorials, each loaded with tricks on how to make Google Slides look good:

Go Build a Google Slides Presentation Today

You can do more with Google Slides than you may have realized. Once you master these professional Google Slides tips, you'll be amazed at what you can do. 

We've explored the very best Google Slides design ideas for 2024. Learn how to use Google Slides ideas like these, and you'll know how to make a good presentation on Google Slides. This is the key to impressing any audience. And you'll find that it saves you tons of time along the way. Truly, Google Slides presentation ideas like these are a win-win.

What techniques do you use to bring your presentation to the next level? Share your professional Google Slides tips in the comments below.

This tutorial was originally published in September 2017. It's been updated to include new information and a video—with special help from Andrew Childress.

Tips for Using Google Slides With Elementary Students

Are you looking for some tips for using Google Slides with elementary students?   This online learning tool makes it simple and easy for students to practice specific grade level task. 

Google Slides also allows teachers to manage assignments, grade work, and give students feedback.  It is quite like PowerPoint but is free to use and can be a powerful classroom resource. 

1: What are Google Slides?

This online presentation app lets you create and format presentations and work with others.  It is easy to share and collaborate anywhere there is Internet access.  Google Slides is just as easy to use as the programs PowerPoint and Keynote.

Google Slides is a presentation program and is included as part of a free, web-based software office suite offered by Google within its Google Drive service. The service also includes Google Docs and Google Sheets, a word processor and spreadsheet.

2: How can I use Google Slides in my Classroom?

There are numerous ways teachers are using Google Slides with elementary students.

Six Ways to Use Google Slides: 

• Visual Presentations: Supplement what you are saying with a visual presentation. 
• Student Feedback: Google Slides makes it easy to encourage student participation. There are tools that make it possible to get feedback from within Google Slides. 
• Collaborative Teaching & Learning: An assignment can be designed so that students create their own or collaborate on slides for an engaging student presentation. 
• Distance Learning: Students can use teacher-created slide presentations activities or assessments to learn new material at home, practice new skills learned, and be assessed on objectives that have been learned.  
• Digital Journals or Notecards: Students can brainstorm, research, organize, and then present their research projects to the class on Google Slides.  They also can be used to memorize vocabulary or other materials. Google Slides can be used as a log, journal, or tracker with a new slide for each day.
• Drawing Program: Google Slides have many of the features of a drawing program. Students can draw, paint, make shapes, or create on a slide.

3: How Do I Set Up Google Classroom?

Google Classroom is a free web-based platform that integrates your G Suite for Education account with Google Docs, Google Slides, Gmail, and Google Calendar. It saves time and paper and makes it easy to create classes, distribute assignments, communicate, and stay organized.

Steps to getting started with Google Classroom:

• Create an account: Teachers and students need G Suite for Education accounts to use Google Classroom that is set up in your school. 
• Create a class: Google Classroom is a space where your students can receive assignments and read your announcements. Head to classroom.google.com  to get started
• Enroll Students:  Invite students to your classroom in order to enroll them. This is done by an email invitation or code.
• Grading System: Set up a grading system and grade categories. If you choose a grading system for your class your grades will be calculated for you.
• Assignments: Create assignments that can be posted to multiple classes as well as to individual students. You can give feedback on assignments, grades, and return assignments.
• Assessments: Create quizzes, import quiz grades, and return grades to students.
• Virtual Classrooms: Set up live online classes, video conferencing, or digital office hours.

4: How DO I Get Google Slides?

Google Slides can be made by individual teachers or can be purchased on a variety of learning sites.  Two sites that have a variety of grade levels activities for students are either the Teachers Pay Teachers site or the BOOM Learning site.

On either site, you can search to find the BOOM Decks that meet your students’ instructional needs. It is important that you make sure that what you are purchasing is for digital use and can be used in Google Classroom. 

There are also many free materials available on both the BOOM Learning and Teachers Pay Teachers site.  Many teacher-authors offer activities for a variety of skills or as a preview of a larger resource that you can purchase.

Once you have purchased or clicked on a free digital resource, they are yours forever.  You will always have access to assign this material to your students throughout your years of teaching.   

5: How DO I Assign Google Slides to My Students?

Teachers in Google Classroom can quickly make assignments that include attached materials. After you post the assignment, your students receive an e-mail notification of the assignment, after which they complete it and turn it back in.

Steps for Making Assignments: 

• Log in to your class and click the Stream tab.
• Click Assignment.
• Type in the title of the assignment and an optional description. The description is a great place to add instructions for the assignment.
• Click the due date to change it if you need to.
• Click Add Time to add the time of day on the due date that the assignment is due.

Adding Materials:

• Paperclip: This option attaches a file to the assignment. Here, you can upload the file from your hard drive, which will be stored on your Google Drive.
• Google Drive: This option also attaches a file to the assignment but takes you right to your Google Drive to find the file.
• YouTube play button: This option enables you to attach a YouTube video to the assignment. When you click this button, you can search for the video on YouTube or copy and paste the YouTube video URL. When you search for a video, YouTube results display right in the same window, and you can preview the video as well, so there is no need to visit the YouTube site.
• Link: You can click the chain link button to paste in an external URL to the assignment.

Uploading Documents:

• View only: Choose this option if you want all your students to read the same file but not change it. This is good for reference materials only.
• Edit: Choose this option if you want all your students to make changes to the  same This is good only if students are expected to collaborate on a single assignment.
• Make a copy for each student: Choose this option if you want each student to have his or her own copy of the assignment. Students can make changes and turn in the assignment separately. This is best for typical homework assignments in which the student is responsible for his or her own work.

In summary, there are many tips for using Google Slides with elementary students.  They allow teachers to easily monitor their students’ progress on specific academic skills.  They are designed with a variety of features that keep the student actively engaged in their learning. 

Google Slides in conjunction with Google Classroom allows teachers to assign students an assignment that each student receives.  When they are done with their assignment, they just turn it in, and it can instantly be graded online.  If you have not tried Google Slides yet, you may want to give it a try!

Grab your Free, Word Decoding Google Slides Sampler Here!

Find some more reading activities and assessments in my store, The Teaching Scene by Maureen.

To read more topics check out my blog, “Seven Effective First Grade Assessment Tools”

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7 teacher-approved ideas for using Google Slides in the classroom

Introducing Google Slides , the ultimate classroom companion for every teacher. This powerful tool is your perfect ally to keep your students on task, streamline their day, and ignite their engagement. While it's already excellent for classroom management, there are so many epic uses for it that you may never have thought of. 

In this blog, I've got your back with seven of my favorite ideas for using Google Slides in the classroom. From streamlining student progress to setting the tone for your day, these ideas will not only keep your students engaged and focused but also make your life as a teacher a bit easier (I challenge you to find me one teacher who would say no to that). 

1. Meet the Teacher Nights: Making a Memorable First Impression

One of the key moments where teachers and parents come face to face is the much-anticipated Meet the Teacher Nights. Take this opportunity to enhance the experience by harnessing the power of Google Slides, creating an engaging visual presentation that matches your decor theme. Offering a presentation gives you the opportunity to display your teaching philosophy, outline classroom expectations, and provide essential insights into the upcoming school year. Plus, even the parents will appreciate how cute the slides are 😉.

Meet parents in style with a cute and customized meet the teacher slide (this one is from the Daisy Gingham Neutrals range). 

2. Streamlining Student Progress: Center and Reading Group Rotations

Managing center or reading group rotations is a breeze with Google Slides. Design a rotation schedule for each group, outlining tasks, locations, and timings to encourage self-directed learning. Empower students to confidently navigate their academic journey, fostering independence and unity, resulting in a well-organized and self-driven classroom environment.

All your rotations displayed neatly on the board – winning! (P.S. this template is from the Australiana collection).

3. Setting The Tone For The Day: Morning Meetings Made Easy 

Rise and shine! Transform your morning meetings with a slide deck that breaks down the day's schedule, important reminders, and instructions for upcoming activities. Add visual cues to keep students engaged and on track, ensuring everyone starts the day with a clear sense of what’s to come – even if you are all still just waking up HA!

Save time creating digital displays from scratch and customize editable templates instead just like these gorgeous Google Slides available in every decor theme. 

4. Enhancing Time Management Skills: Visual Timers

Incorporate countdowns into your presentations with the help of Google Slides’ timers, providing students with a tangible representation of how long they have left on their task. Whether for individual assignments or group work, these visual timers provide an invaluable tool for nurturing essential soft skills. As the seconds tick away, watch your students own their schedules, prioritize their workload and stay on task. Suddenly, every second becomes tangible, and students master the art of time management without even realizing it.

Visual reminders that also improve student time management? Say less. (ft. Slides from the Boho Plants collection )

5. Displaying Lesson Objectives and Learning Intentions

Set the stage for effective learning by creatively displaying lesson objectives and learning intentions through Google Slides. Craft visually appealing slides that not only match your decor theme (😉 ) but also outline the significance of the lesson's goals to help students understand the purpose of their work. The gorgeous illustrations (seriously have you seen the Australiana Google Slides ) can help keep your students stay engaged and may help the message not only resonate but also amplify the connection between learning goals and application of work. The result? That pesky "What are we doing today?" question becomes a distant memory, no longer disrupting the flow of the class.

How lush is @learningwithmiss.ashlee’s matching Spotty Boho set up! SO cute.

6. Lesson Instructions and Steps: Guiding the Learning Journey

Guide the learning of your students with precision by utilizing Google Slides for detailed lesson instructions. Break down complex tasks into manageable steps, complemented by visuals, links, and resources and have lesson instructions ready to go before class. These steps act as reliable reference points, serving as visual aids that assist students in staying on the right track throughout the lesson, fostering effective interaction and engagement with the content. 

Spotty Pastels Decor theme 🤝 Google slides with @smileswithsam

7. Centralizing Resources: Daily Lesson Plans

Seamlessly infuse lesson plans into your slides, designing a timetable that effortlessly integrates vital resources. From YouTube videos to Google Doc links, everything is neatly organized within this central hub and ready to present to students (or have them in front of them as they work through lessons). Experience the ease of having all you need at your fingertips, simplifying your daily teaching journey – because who wouldn’t want that!

My templates include over 50 editable and pre made Google Slides and Powerpoint Templates with styles to match every decor theme – how stunning is the Botanical range!

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Before you start creating 200 new Google Slides for your class—take a look at my collection of templates! Featuring a wide variety of themes, including Boho, Pastels, and Neutrals, you can mix and match to perfectly match your classroom's style. So whether your classroom radiates Boho Vibes or if Modern Jungle is more your style, there are LOADS of editable templates to match your unique taste.

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How to Make a Google Slides Presentation for College

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Presentation assignments help you build your speaking skills. They can help you conquer your fear of public speaking, too. If you use Google Slides, it’s easy to set up a college presentation.

First, we’ll go over how to use Google Slides’ five basic features to create your presentation. After that, you’ll find three key tips to make your presentation great.

Creating a College Presentation in Google Slides

The five key features of Google Slides are the Templates, Themes, Layouts, Add-Ons, and Presenter View.

1. Choose a Template

Google Slides comes with lots of premade templates. You can use them to save time designing each slide. View Google’s included templates by clicking Template Gallery on the Slides homepage.

You can also find useful Google Slides templates around the web . Try to find a template that matches your presentation’s goal. For instance, a sales pitch template will work as an argument or business plan.

Once you find a good template, click its name at the top left to change it. Next, save it to use again in the future.

To save a copy, go to File > Make a Copy > Entire Presentation . Give the copy a generic name, like Marketing Presentation , and save it to your Drive. This gives you a clean copy to make future presentations from.

It’s a good idea to save a handful of templates this way. Look at your course outlines to see what kinds you will need.

2. Share With Teammates

If you are presenting as part of a group, go to the Share button at the top-right to get a link for your classmates. Be sure that permissions are set to Anyone with the link and Editor . This way, your team members can join with a single click.

You can also give access using an email. Click on Add people and groups , and either type in or select your groupmates’ email addresses. You can share your Slides to non-Gmail accounts , too.

3. Select a Theme

On the right-hand side, you will see several Themes available. Themes put a fresh look on an old template. Select an appropriate theme for your project. Try to find one you have not used for that class before.

Depending on the template, you might need to make some changes after changing the theme. For instance, you might have to move text that overlaps with the new border. You may also need to change the font color if it’s hard to read on the new background.

To move an element, click and drag. To change colors, select the text or graphic, then choose a new color from the context menu.

4. Choose Slide Layouts

Right-click a slide and select Apply Layout to see the options. The best ones to use are Title Only , One-column text , and Big Number . These options leave plenty of room for graphics. They help you avoid crowded slides that are hard to read.

You don’t need Main Point slides if the section is only one or two slides long. For longer sections, Main Point slides let you review the section's contents. But slides that only stay up long enough to state the title will break the flow of your presentation.

5. Use Add-Ons to Improve the Visuals

You can make good use of Google Slides Add-Ons to import special elements. They let you add flow charts, math formulas, and convert images into slides.

Take a moment to install add-ons for all the graphics design software you use. Slides should always rely more on graphics than text, so the more options you have, the better.

6. Practice in Presenter View

You can find Presenter View by clicking the dropdown arrow on the Slideshow setting. It's in the top-right corner of the screen. Presenter View allows you to see the current slide, a preview of the next one, and your notes. At the same time, it sends the slide to display elsewhere.

You can even view the notes on your phone while you present. However, in some settings, using a personal phone looks unprofessional. Talk with your professor about expectations. You may also be able to use or borrow a tablet for the presentation.

Presenter View also includes a timer at the top-left. Practicing in this mode lets you get an accurate idea of how long each slide takes. This helps you adjust the timing as you present. You can notice when you need to save time by summarizing, and when you can slow down for more detail.

Tips for a Great Presentation

Now that your slide structure is in place, it’s time to start designing the slides.

1. Use the Notes Panel

Audiences can’t listen and read at the same time. If the slides and speaking are the same, you force the audience to ignore half of your presentation. Instead, use the Notes panel at the bottom of the screen to organize what you will say.

You can click and drag on the panel’s border to give yourself more space. Use bulleted lists and bolding, so you can read at a glance.

You can't make eye contact with the audience if you are reading notes. So instead of a read-aloud script, use the notes as reminders. Use shorthand and keywords instead of full sentences.

2. Focus on the Graphics

Your speaking is the most important part of the presentation, so reduce the text by as much as possible. Instead, use graphics to help the audience understand and remember your main points.

If you’re presenting numbers, adding a chart from Google Sheets can help the audience visualize them. You can also use photos to create a visual reference. For instance, if you talk about a brand, showing the logo can help the audience remember it.

You can find lots of graphic options in the Insert menu. You can also import them from another site using an Add-On . Once you’ve added a chart, click its top-right corner to open the menu. Then select View Source to change the data in Google Sheets.

Try to choose high-resolution images that look good with your theme colors. All slides should have more graphics and blank space than text. Text size should be at least 24, to make sure people can read it from far away.

3. Practice Makes Perfect

In the end, the essential part of a presentation isn’t the slides; it’s how you present them. Therefore, practicing several times is critical. Smooth flow and speaker confidence are usually worth a lot of marks, and practice is the only way to improve them.

When you practice, act as if it's the real thing. Stand at the front of the room, and make eye contact with your practice audience. If possible, try to practice in the same room that you will present.

It can be hard to practice with no audience. If you are giving a solo presentation, offer to practice with classmates. You can give each other constructive criticism. If you can’t find any people, practice speaking to a rubber duck. Even a toy with a face is better than an empty room.

Ace Your Presentations With Google Slides

Using Google Slides, you can put an “A+” presentation together in no time. Then, you can use themes, layouts, and other features to fill them in.

It’s important to focus on your speaking skills. A good speaker should know how to engage their audience. Getting them involved with some interactive segments is a great way to do that.

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15 Tips to Make an Amazing Google Slides Presentation Design!

By: Author Shrot Katewa

There are many reasons that people like to use Google Slides. It could be for a school project, work presentation or just to share information with friends and family.

Whatever the reason, one thing is certain: you want your design to look amazing! If you want an easy way to create a great-looking design for your next presentation then this blog post is for you.

In this article, we will go over 15 tips on how to make an amazing design using Google Slides. Whether it’s your first time creating a presentation on Google Slides or if you’re an experienced professional, these tips are sure to help guide you in the right direction!

So, let’s get started!

Note – if you are strapped for time , simply considering outsourcing the presentation design process to a professional! I’d recommend using Fiverr . It is completely hassle-free to set up and start using. Plus, you don’t need to pay anything to hire a professional. You only pay for the slide design! And, you can start with as little as $5 to $10 per slide!

Tips to Make an Amazing Google Slide Presentation Design!

Since this is going to be an action-packed article with a ton of suggestions, let’s just dive right in with the tips!

1. Create a Compeling Narrative Through a Story Arc

A presentation is only as good as the narrative it holds!

If your presentation doesn’t leave “ food for thought ” for your audience, they are less likely to remember your presentation, and even less likely to take any action afterward (which is mostly bad news especially if you are trying to convince your investors to give you more money!)

Presentation design goes hand-in-hand with the content that is going to be used for the presentation. Thus, start with a compelling story.

The best way to create a convincing story for your presentation is to use the “ Story Arc “.

A “ Story Arc ” or a “Narrative Arc” is something that has been successfully used by storytellers and writers for ages. The keyword here is “successfully”!

A powerful narrative can not only help your audience understand the intricacies of the subject of the presentation, but it also makes the presentation engaging and entertaining.

The best way to start working on a story arc is to either look at what is the most important aspect of your presentation and how can it be emphasized in a manner that takes the role of a protagonist?

Another way that I’ve used the story arc in my presentations successfully is to work backward. Think of what is the end outcome that you expect, and try to track things backward in order to achieve the end outcome.

No matter what approach you take, if you are able to fit a story arc in your presentation, you’d be golden!

Finally use stories from your life, or what you experienced while working on a project! I’ve seen this works really well and resonates with the audience. Here’s a quick video on tips for using storytelling in your presentation.

2. One Topic Per Slide

Now that you’ve identified the larger part of what you going to cover in your presentation – in other words, the content, you now need to lay it out on your presentation such that it can be consumed by your audience comfortably!

One of the simplest tips to design a better presentation is to make sure that you don’t cramp all the information in a single slide or 4-5 slides! Make sure that you spread out the presentation on multiple slides so that the audience can absorb all the information, but in short bursts, and then move on to the next topic!

A good rule of thumb for a good design is to try and cover just 1 topic on a slide.

I’ve seen this work plenty of times, and I personally also use this technique for my presentations. Simply divide the content of your presentations first into multiple key sections. Then, divide the sections further into key topics that should be covered within that section.

You can do this activity on a sheet of paper or just on the first slide of the presentation. Once you’re done with this activity, you’ll realize that the outline that you’ve just created also serves as the “Agenda” or the “Table of Contents” slide.

Now, all you’re left to do is fill in the information that needs to go under each topic.

You may be wondering how is this a design tip. Well, when you have just one concept present on a slide, it is not only easier for your audience to consume, but also easier to design. You’ll realize this when designing the presentation and thank me later!

Remember, there will be times when you will not have much to say about a particular topic, your slide will look empty, and you will be tempted to add another topic on the same slide. Don’t fall for that. Instead, use images that accentuate the text or the topic of the slide.

3. Start with a Template (Don’t Design from Scratch!)

This next tip might seem a bit obvious to some.

But, the reality is that quite a lot of people tend to miss out on the fact that you can use presentations that already look good, and just customize the slides for your content!

Google Slides already provides you with a number of free templates. Here’s how you can access them –

• First, visit your Google Slides dashboard page.
• Login to your Google Account (if prompted)
• Choose a template from “Start a new presentation” section
• You can also click on “Template Gallery” to view more templates.

The one template that I end up using over and over again is the file name “ Consulting Proposal “. It has got a sleek modern design, a good mix of image slides as well as different text placeholder slide layouts for you to easily edit your presentation.

But, feel free to check out other templates and see which one fits your need the best.

The point here is that if you are not great at designing a presentation, you’d perhaps be better off using a template rather than starting from scratch!

4. Use Fonts the Right Way

When it comes to designing a good presentation on Google Slides (or any application for that matter), fonts do play a key role in how your presentation looks!

Thus, it is important to make sure that you use the fonts correctly when creating your presentation.

Here’s what you need to remember when using fonts for your presentation –

• Use Just One or Two Fonts – Don’t use too many fonts in your presentation. Your presentation design will not look good. Plus, using too many fonts in a presentation shows lack of consistency and professionalism in design.
• Combine Fonts – Ideally, just use one font if you are unsure of which fonts work great together. But, you can also combine fonts to make the content of your presentation standout!

If you do want to go with a two-font option, use the Google Fonts tool to identify the font combination.

Here’s how you can find a good font combination for your presentation –

Step 1 – Visit Googe Fonts and Search for a Font

Google Fonts site provides free fonts that are compatible with most modern internet sites and web browsers. Google Fonts are considered the gold standard for sites as these look very modern and are light.

The best thing is – most of them are already available in your Google Slides presentation by default.

So, the first step is to visit the Google Fonts website . Then, search for a font, to begin with. My favorite font is Montserrat . But, you can also go with Lato, Roboto, or Source Sans Pro if you are looking for a Sans Serif Font .

If you are looking for a Serif font , I would recommend using Merriweather .

Step 2 – Choose the Font and click “Pairings”

The next step is to choose a font. You can either type one of the fonts that I mentioned in the search bar and click on it once it appears OR you can also simply choose from the list provided below.

Just make sure that you click on the font that you like to open it.

Once the font is open, click on the “Pairings” tab on the top (as shown in the image).

Step 3 – Choose a Font Pair

Now simply choose one of the font pairs provided by Google Fonts. You can also click on a font pair to see how it looks on the section on the right.

Play with the options provided and choose the font combination that you like.

Now, simply go back to your Google Slides presentation and change the fonts according to your selection.

5. Choose the Right Color Combination

Just the way fonts are an important part of your Google Slides presentation design, choosing a good color combination can make your presentation look visually appealing, consistent, and professional.

Unfortunately, a lot of struggle with choosing a good color combination. Thus, I highly advise going with a monochromatic color scheme.

A monochromatic color scheme in a presentation provides a variety of color combinations of the same color. This makes your presentation look consistent and professional.

Moreover, using a monochromatic color scheme is a perfect way option for a beginner as it requires the least amount of time and effort to set up!

Check out my other article on using a monochromatic color scheme for presentations to understand the topic in-depth.

Then, also check out how to use the eyedropper tool in Google Slides to implement the color scheme that you end up choosing.

Make sure that you change the color at the theme level in Google Slides instead of changing it on every single slide. This will save you quite a bit of time!

6. Use the Expore Tool to Generate Slide Designs

Once you’ve decided the fonts, color scheme, and theme, and you have the content structured out, you’ve done most of the hard work!

All you are now left to do is create the slide designs. And, to help you with that, make sure that you use the “ Explore Tool ” in Google Slides.

The “Explore” feature in Google Slides generates slide designs based on the content that is already present on the slide. It is a great way to get a slide designed almost instantaneously!

The “Explore” feature in Google Slides works much as the design ideas feature in PowerPoint.

Based on the content on the slide, it will throw a few suggestions on how the content can be laid out on the slide. You can choose the design you like. If not, you can still design your own slide. But, it is definitely worth trying out first. Pretty cool, isn’t it!

I wrote a detailed article on the Explore Feature in Google Slides . Make sure you check out that article to learn where to find this tool and know how to use it!

That said, one thing to keep in mind is that this feature is still an experimental tool . And, while it is getting better with time, I wouldn’t recommend using it with every single slide.

In my experience, I’ve noticed that using the “Explore” feature in Google Slides works best when you want to create a title slide, a section break slide, or just want to get a few ideas on how the slide can be designed.

7. Apply the 3 by 3 Design Rule

The 3 by 3 design rule, otherwise also known as “ the rule of thirds “, is a principle that has been borrowed from photography. But, it is every bit applicable even for slide designs and other design elements!

As per the 3 by 3 design principle, you basically need to divide the visual canvas into 3 equal-sized vertical and horizontal grids with the help of 2 vertical grid lines and 2 horizontal grid lines.

Here’s a video that explains the concept of the rule of thirds for presentations –

Using these grids helps place the content correctly in the grids such that the key message usually aligns with the way our eyes like to see them visually!

The 3 by 3 design principle may seem confusing at first, but once you’ve understood how to use it, you can literally take your presentation design skills a few notches above the rest!

Using 3X3 Grids to Properly Layout Content on your Slides

The interesting thing is, you can take the same principle to make it work with elements apart from the images that are present on your slide. And, the results are just amazing!

The picture above shows how most people design their slides (on the left). However, you can literally transform the way your slides look by applying the concept of 3×3 grids to any existing content on the slides! (as shown on the right part of the picture above)

Here’s another video that explains how this concept of 3 by 3 grids can be used to take any existing slides and make them better (if they aren’t properly organized).

8. Use Powerful Images

They say – “An image speaks a thousand words!”. This absolutely holds true when it comes to big impact presentation!

If you recollect any one of the top presentations from Steve Jobs. His presentation was almost always using powerful images with very few words on them.

Using images, as opposed to a lot of text, on your presentation has a few advantages of its own –

• Visual Appeal – Using images makes the slide visually appealing. Think about it – if there aren’t too many objects placed on the slide, the chances of making design related mistakes are also far lower!
• Emotional Connect – Using images creates a subtle emotional connect in the minds of the audience with the topic of the presentation and/or the presenter.
• Audience Focus – When you use text on a presentation, often the audience just reads the text and doens’t want to listen to the presenter. Instead, when using the images, you control the focus of the attention of your audience. Once you have their attention, making a presentation impactful is a lot easier!
• Faster Design Process – In most cases, it is faster to find an image and add it to the presentation rather than think of a way to design a slide to communicate a concept. This is especially true if you have only basic design skills.

If you watch some of the most famous TED or TEDx presentations ( know the difference between TED and TEDx presentations here ), it is quite common to see presenters using high-impact images with text. Ever wonder why is it so?

Well, one of the most important reasons is that you are able to control the attention of the audience!

Now, if you are wondering how to find images for your presentation, keep reading as I’ve got some great recommendations for add-ons later in the article!

9. Keep the Text on the Slide Readable

If using images for most slides is not the way for you, then this section is going to be quite important!

In fact, even if you do plan to use just images on your slides, there may still be a few slides where you will need to have some text. If so, make sure that the text on the slide is readable!

Make sure that you don’t use text that is too small to read.

As a general rule – the further the audience is going to be away from the screen, the larger the size of the text!

Here’s what to remember for the size of the text on the slides –

• Presentation seen on a computer screen – If the presentation that you are designing is going to be seen on a computer screen (either over an email or a zoom call), then make sure that the font size used for the presentation is not less than 16 points .
• Presentation seen on a large screen – If the presentation is going to be delivered in an auditorium, then it is recommended to use a font size no less than 30 points . For the rest of the situations, anything in between should be fine!

Also, make sure that you don’t use too much text on the same slide. Remember – you only need to cover one key topic on one slide.

It is totally okay to just use one word in the middle of the slide, and talk about that topic rather than using text from a complete word document on a slide!

If your audience will have to squint to read what is written, it just creates a bad user experience and they quickly lose interest.

Also, for the above reason, don’t include everything on the slide that you plan to say! If you do so, you may come across as a person who is just reading from the slide! Most importantly, the audience is going to end up reading the text from the slide faster than you speak, and end up losing interest in the presentation!

10. Ditch the Bullet Points (Use Infographics Instead!)

Using bullet points on a presentation is so 1990s! It’s just not the way good presentations are given anymore!

If you want your presentation design to look good, make sure that you get rid of bullet points. Instead, you can either use images, icons, or even infographics!

I’ve written an entire article on how to use infographics in Google Slides where I also talk about SmartArt and charts in Google Slides. Make sure you check out that article!

There are a ton of different ways in which you get infographics for Google Slides. I’ve talked about that also in the same article that I’ve linked above.

Likewise, you can also use icons instead of bullet points. Although adding icons to Google Slides is not an option that is available by default, there are a few ways you can work around this problem. For instance, you can use an add-on like “Flaticon” that provides free icons for Google Slides!

If you are wondering how to create a slide with bullet points and use icons or other methods, here’s a good example of an actual client slide that I redesigned –

As you can see on the image, simply using icons and structuring the text to give proper hierarchy to the information can make all the difference to the design of the slide!

In case you don’t want to use icons, you can also use numbers with circles, and use a similar design instead of just adding bullets to your presentation. If you do so, your presentation will still look good!

11. Avoid Using Just Table or a Graph

The next tip to remember is to avoid using just a table or a graph on a slide. Make sure that you also include a few points that act as key takeaways from the information that you provide.

Using just a table will present a lot of information on a single slide. This will definitely cause an information overload. And, even though your audience may be able to assess what is being presented to them, it is important to either highlight key pieces of information in the table or a graph.

Alternatively, you can also add a couple of lines of text indicating the key learnings from the data set.

Don’t get me wrong, it is important to have data sets on a presentation if you have one! But, just make sure that you also highlight key pieces of information that your audience should pay attention to.

12. Keep Animations and Transitions Subtle

Another design tip that you should keep in mind is the use of animations and transitions in Google Slides.

You want to make sure when using animations in Google Slides , you don’t add any funny movements. Think old school when using animations and transitions in your presentation.

Any additional movement or sudden transitions can distract the attention of the audience from the core topic and the messaging of the presentation.

So, make sure that you keep the use of such animations or transitions to the minimal!

13. Use Professional Google Slides Templates

If you find that the free template doesn’t have enough slide layouts for your presentation or doesn’t really fit the topic of your presentation, you may want to consider using professional templates!

There are a ton of different ways you can get templates for Google Slides. Unfortunately, most of the free options (and even most paid options) have outdated designs!

My personal favorite method for getting amazing Google Slides presentation templates is using Envato Elements .

The best part about using Envato Elements is that not only does it provide you with the best-in-class designs for your templates, but it also provides you with an option to download an unlimited number of presentations! (yes, you hear that right!)

Moreover, the pricing of Envato Elements is also really affordable! All you need to do is click on Envato Elements to visit the website, view the templates, and click on the “ Get Unlimited Downloads ” button on the top.

You will be prompted to sign up and pay a subscription. Just go for a monthly subscription and pay for one month (You can easily remove the payment method and cancel your subscription anytime).

Once you’ve logged in, simply cancel your subscription. Your subscription will be valid until the next date of renewal even if you cancel it.

Now, for the one month that you’ve paid, feel free to download all the templates that you like including templates for Google Slides, and PowerPoint!

14. Use Add-ons for Faster and Better Designs

One of the challenges with Google Slides, as opposed to some of the most reliable presentation design software, is the limited number of features it offers.

I suppose we should not really be complaining about it given that we do get a great presentation design application for free along with several additional advantages with Google Slides ! That said, you do feel the need for a few pro-features that PowerPoint has to offer.

However, one way to fix this problem is to use add-ons with Google Slides!

Using add-ons allows you to use third-party tools and bring additional functionalities to your Google Slides presentation!

Add-ons on Google Slides are easy to add. Simply go to the Google Marketplace, and search for the add-on that you would like to add. Install it, and you are done!

Check out my complete guide on using Add-ons on Google Slides where I not only talk about how to use add-ons in Google Slides, but I also provide you with my personal favorite top 5 recommendations of add-ons that you should be using in Google Slides!

15. Hire a Professional

Well, the last tip is not so much as a tool that you can use on Google Slides. But, it is a great hack to ensure that you create great presentation designs!

Simply hire a professional to do the design work for you! You may be wondering that hiring a presentation professional might be difficult. However, that is not the case.

You can easily find some really good presentation designers on Fiverr , and you can start at as little as $5 to $10 dollars per slide! I’ve personally used freelancers from the site, and although finding a good freelancer may take you 15-20 minutes, you can easily outsource your work and let the designer worry about the rest!

The best part is – you don’t have to pay a single penny to hire a professional. You only pay to get the work done!

There are a ton of other platforms to hire professionals that can design a good presentation for you. However, I have found Fiverr (especially for presentation design work) and Upwork to be the most effective.

A Few Things to Remember When Delivering the Presentation

Once you have created an amazing Google Slides presentation, you are perhaps ready to deliver the presentation. However, I’d like to also share a couple of tips that can be helpful when you plan to give the presentation!

So, here they are –

1. Use a Presentation Remote

It doesn’t matter whether you are giving a presentation in an auditorium or online through Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

Using a presentation remote helps you keep your hands free and allows for free movement and hand gestures. This does help engage with your audience.

Check out my other article on using presentation clickers with Google Slides where I provide you with a few tips and recommendations on which remote you should go with.

2. Use the Q&A Tool in Google Slides

A unique feature that Google Slides provides is the Q&A tool. This is great especially if you are delivering a webinar-style presentation or if you are simply addressing a large gathering.

This tool allows your audience to send questions during the course of your presentation. Then, at the end, you can simply view the questions in the Q&A session and answer them one by one!

It is a great way to deliver an engaging presentation using Google Slides!

Credit to cookie_studio (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited).

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How to Create a Presentation Using Google Slides

Last Updated: November 30, 2023

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 17 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 241,537 times. Learn more...

This tutorial will show you how to make a PowerPoint-like presentation using Google Slides. Presentations can be used for school, business, and so much more.

• You can also just type in https://slides.google.com , log in if you haven't already, and will be taken to the Slides page.
• If you don't have a Google account, learn to create one now!

• For more options, hover over the arrow on the right edge of the Google Slides option, where a smaller drop-down menu will appear. From here you can select to create a presentation from a template or a blank slide.

• Be sure to add a title and subtitle by clicking where you are prompted to add text.

• You can also change a pre-existing slide's layout by clicking the layout option on the upper editing bar.

• As you add animations to each element by clicking the blue "+ Select an object to animate", they will begin to pile up. Click on each one to edit it.
• Change the transition from slide to slide by clicking the default "Slide: No transition" at the top of the sidebar. You can choose whether to apply to all slides or just one.
• Preview your animations by clicking Play at the bottom of the sidebar.
• Remove an animation by clicking the small x on its rectangle, and drag each animation up or down to change the order.

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wikiHow Video: How to Create a Presentation Using Google Slides

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About This Article

To create a new Google Slides presentation, open a web browser and go to Slides.Google.com. If you want to start from a template, you can choose one from the template gallery. Otherwise, click "Blank" to create a new blank presentation. Your blank presentation starts with a single simple slide with space to enter a title and subtitle. You can personalize this slide, as well as other slides you add, by editing the placeholder text, as well as choosing a slide theme from the panel to the right. To insert another slide, click the "Insert" menu and select "New Slide," or press "Control M" for a quick keyboard shortcut. You'll also find other things you can add to your slide on the Insert menu, including the option to add an image, a text box for typing, videos, shapes, charts, and other features. After adding a new slide, click the "Layout" menu to choose a slide layout—you can give each slide its own layout or reuse the same layout as much as necessary. Edit the placeholder text, and then insert objects from the Insert menu. To move an object, click the arrow in the toolbar, hover the mouse cursor around the object's border line until it turns to a 4-point arrow, and then click and drag it. Each slide you add will have a thumbnail in the left panel—click a slide's thumbnail to open that slide for editing. To see your presentation as a viewer would, click your first slide in the left panel, and then click "Present" at the top corner. Click the Escape key to go back to editing. Google Slides also has some built-in effects you can access from the "Transition" menu—here you can animate a slide's transition into the next slide, as well as animate individual objects. To apply an effect, background, theme, layout, or any other setting to more than one slide at once, select the slides in the left panel by holding down the Control key as you click each thumbnail. Your presentation will automatically save to your Google Drive as you work—type a name for the presentation in the top-left corner so you can easily find the file when you need it. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Presentation Tips for High School Students

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Encourage young minds to conquer public speaking with our high school presentation tips template. This educational asset, suitable for Google Slides and PowerPoint, sports colorful geometric frames that keep the content vibrant and engaging. The slide deck is fully editable and facilitates the inclusion of personal tips, advice, and specifics. Download this resource as a fun way to instill presentation mastery, empowering students to deliver effective speeches with clarity and confidence.

Features of this template

• 100% editable and easy to modify
• 35 different slides to impress your audience
• Contains easy-to-edit graphics such as graphs, maps, tables, timelines and mockups
• Includes 500+ icons and Flaticon’s extension for customizing your slides
• Designed to be used in Google Slides, Canva, and Microsoft PowerPoint
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Five Imaginative Ways to Use Google Slides

Google Slides is fantastic for presentations, but there are so many more ways you can use it. The application is so versatile that it can be used creatively to transform the classroom into an interactive and engaging place.

Here are a few imaginative ways to use Google Slides with your students.

Group Brainstorming

Instead of using a whiteboard, you can create a shared slide deck where students can brainstorm ideas together. Brainstorming is an excellent way to access student’s prior knowledge and can have great impact on student achievement. Students can use shapes to create sticky notes and could use shapes, lines, and connectors to create mind maps to capture their thoughts.

Choice Boards

You can offer students a choice when completing classroom activities by creating a choice board in Google Slides. Allowing  students to choose  how they want to demonstrate their learning can increase student buy-in and recall because students are more interested in their learning. In addition, it’s a great way to differentiate in the classroom. Slidesmania has a ton of choice board templates to help you get started. If you want to learn more about using choice board in your classroom, check out this online course .

Virtual Field Trips

Take your students on virtual field trips without leaving the classroom. Use Google Slides to compile a series of images, videos, and informational text about various locations. Hyperlink to 360-degree videos or interactive websites for a more immersive experience. Students can explore different locations or historical sites without leaving the classroom. Google Slides also has a field trip template in the template gallery so students can convey what they learned on their virtual field trip.

Google Slides also has a flashcards template in the template gallery. To access the template, go to your Google Drive and click on New > Google Slides > From a template. From there, you can select the flashcards template. Flashcards are an excellent tool for introducing new vocabulary words or academic concepts in a visual and interactive way. The images and words on the cards help students make connections and commit the information to memory.

Digital Escape Rooms

You can create engaging and interactive escape room activities by embedding puzzles, riddles, or clues within Google Slides. Students can work together to solve the challenges and “escape” the room. This will promote problem-solving skills and critical thinking. To get started, check out these step-b y -step directions by Learnexus.

Google Slides is such a versatile tool. By thinking beyond traditional presentations, teachers can leverage this powerful tool to enhance student engagement, promote active learning, and foster a dynamic and interactive learning environment.

Diana Benner

Diana specializes in leadership development and all things Google. She has served as an instructional technologist, instructional designer, and online learning specialist, supporting districts all over Texas and in state government. Diana earned a Masters of Education in Educational Technology from Texas State University- San Marcos. She also holds two bachelor’s degrees, one in Spanish and the other in Political Science, from Texas State.

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July 31, 2016

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As you probably know, Google Drive is far more than a place to store files online. It also includes a suite of versatile creation tools, many of which perform the same functions as the ones we use in other spaces. These include  Google Docs,  a word processing program that behaves similarly to Microsoft Word,  Google Slides,  a presentation program similar to PowerPoint, and  Google Forms,  a survey-creation tool similar to Survey Monkey.  Although Drive also includes other tools, these three are particularly useful for creating rigorous, academically robust projects. If your school uses Google Classroom or at least gives students access to Google Drive, your students are probably already using these tools to write papers or create slideshow presentations, but there are other projects they could be doing that you may not have thought of.

Below I have listed 16 great ideas for projects using Google Docs, Slides, and Forms.

Annotated Bibliography By the time a student reaches the later years of high school, and certainly by the time she’s gotten to college, it’s likely that she’ll be required to write an annotated bibliography, a list of resources that not only includes the bibliographical information of each source, but also a short paragraph summarizing the resource and reflecting on its usefulness for a given project. Usually an annotated bibliography is required as a part of a larger research paper, but it could stand alone as an assignment that tasks students with seeking out and evaluating sources just for the practice of doing so. And the research tools in Google Docs allow students to locate, read, and cite their sources all in one place. To learn more, see this guide from Cornell University Library on How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography .

Book Review Instead of a book report, have students write a book review instead. This is certainly not a new idea, but publishing the work electronically allows students to enhance the final product with the book’s cover image, a link to the book’s page on Amazon, and even links to other titles the author has written or articles on related topics. For models and inspiration, elementary and middle school students can read student-written reviews on sites like Spaghetti Book Club . Older or advanced students might work toward more sophisticated, nuanced review styles like book reviews written on Oprah.com .

Collaborative Story Because Google Docs is cloud-based, multiple people can work on a Doc at the same time. So students can work together on a story, a script for a play, or any other kind of group writing project. They can use the comments feature to give each other feedback and make decisions together. And because students can work from any location with an Internet connection, collaboration isn’t restricted to school hours; each group member can work on the project from any location whenever they have time.

Media-Rich Research Paper Any kind of research paper can be given a big boost when done in a Google Doc, because students can insert images, drawings, and links to other relevant resources, like articles and videos. Using the research tools built into Docs, students can research their topics and include in-text citations with footnotes.

Super Simple Blog If you don’t want to mess with actual blogging platforms, but want students to be able to experience writing blog posts that contain images and hyperlinks to other websites, this could be accomplished easily in a single running Google Doc.

Table Being able to organize information visually is an important skill, and students who understand how to build a table in Google Docs will have a skill for presenting all kinds of information in the future. They can be used as a compare and contrast exercise, to display data from an experiment, or even put together a schedule. Yes, you could do these things yourself, print them, and have students fill them out, but why not have students practice creating the tables themselves? 

Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Story Because slides can contain hyperlinks to other slides, students could build a whole story where the reader chooses different options at key points in the story, leading them down completely different paths. The reader would consume the content as a slideshow, clicking on the links themselves as they go through. This could be a pretty massive undertaking, but we all know students who would be totally up for the challenge.

E-book These could take a variety of forms: mini-textbooks, children’s books, cookbooks or how-to manuals, personal art or writing portfolios, even yearbook-style memory books. To learn more about the possibilities, see my post from earlier this year on  Student E-Books .

Magazine Along the same lines as an e-book, students could use a similar template to create a PDF magazine or newsletter that is shared online on a regular schedule. The possibilities here are endless, useful for student clubs or sports teams, classroom or grade-level newsletters, or magazines put out by groups of students who share a common interest, like gaming systems, soccer, or books.

Museum Kiosk Imagine if we could enhance science fair projects with a looping video display that provides the audience with vivid visuals and text about our topic. Or imagine an art show, where a self-running informational slideshow could be placed beside an art display to share the story behind the piece and photos of the work in progress? This is possible and EASY in Google Slides: Simply create a slideshow, then use the “Publish to the Web” feature to create a slideshow that auto-advances and has no need for a presenter. Pop that up on an iPad or laptop and you’re all set. This mock-up of a slideshow on Coral Reefs shows you what it could look like (click the image to open in a new window).

Short Film Students can upload their own images and add text boxes to a slideshow to create an animated story, then record the slideshow with a Google extension called Screencastify . They can either record their own voice as narration, add background music, or both. There are so many different kinds of films students could produce: illustrated stories or poems, final reflections for a 20 Time or Genius Hour project, video textbooks on content-related topics, or news-like feature stories of school or community events. In this quick sample, I added music from YouTube’s library of royalty-free music that anyone can use to enhance their recordings:

Video Tutorial Using the same screencasting software mentioned above, students could also create their own video tutorials by creating a Slides presentation on their topic (such as “How to Open a Combination Lock”), then recording the slideshow with narration. This would make a nice final product for a unit on informational writing or a way for students to demonstrate their learning at the end of a unit in science (“How to Take Care of Lab Equipment”), social studies (“How to Measure Distance on a Map”), or math (“How to Multiply Fractions”). Student-made tutorials could even be created to teach classroom procedures. And any tutorials students make could be stored for later, so other students can also benefit from them.  Learn more about how Screencastify works right inside Chrome .

Peer Survey Whenever students need to gather data to support an argumentative essay or speech, let them gather data quickly and easily by creating a survey with Google Forms. Links to the survey can be sent out via email, QR codes , or through a post in a learning management system like Edmodo or Google Classroom. When results come in, students can use them to support whatever claim they are trying to make in their argument, or make adjustments based on what they discover in their research.

Feedback Form Have students provide feedback to each other’s presentations, speeches, even videos using Google Forms. Here’s how it would work: Each student creates her own form, asking for the kind of feedback she wants on the project. As other students view or the project, they can be sent to a form to offer praise or constructive criticism, which the creator would then be able to view privately and use to improve the project. Students could even use their feedback to write a reflection on their process after the project is done.

Quiz One great way to learn material is to create a test or quiz over the content. Have students use Google Forms to create their own multiple-choice, True/False, fill-in-the-blank, or open-ended quizzes on the content they are learning.

Visual Representation of Data Sets Whenever people enter responses to a Form, Google allows the form creator to view responses in charts and graphs. Have students gain a better understanding of how data can be represented visually by accepting responses (or entering their own fake ones) into a Form, then looking at how the numbers are represented in graphs. This could work well as a series of math lessons.

Way Beyond Worksheets

Just this morning on Twitter, someone posted a comment along these lines: “A worksheet on a Google Doc is STILL a worksheet. Students should be using tech to create!” I’ve heard this sentiment over and over, and it’s exactly why I’ve put this list together. Google offers some incredibly powerful tools if we know how to use them. I hope this list has given you a few new ideas to put into your students’ hands. ♦

What to Read Next

Categories: Instruction , Technology

Tags: assessment , content area literacy , English language arts , Grades 3-5 , Grades 6-8 , Grades 9-12 , project-based learning , teaching with tech , tech tools

51 Comments

This is wonderful.

This is my first year teaching in an alternative high school. All students have IEP’s as well as social and emotional disabilities. I really want to focus on literacy as many are well below grade-level, ability wise. Writing of course is a big part of literacy. I’m looking for ideas that they can collaborate on, via Google Docs, Slides, etc. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Check out Boomwriter: A Fun Twist on Collaborative Writing . Lots of good resources there that you might like. Also take a look at Student-Made E-Books: A Beautiful Way to Demonstrate Learning .

I am an RSP teacher in Anaheim. For summer school I am going to have them build a “Bucket List” in Google slides.

Thanks for compiling these resources. I use many already but haven’t tried Screencastify yet. My district uses Google Classroom, but the forms app is blocked on student accounts- I think because it’s a perfect medium for under-the-radar cyberbullying (“How much do you hate Linda?…A little, a lot, a ton…”). Before teachers plan a lesson using forms, they should make sure the feature is enabled for students in their district. In my district, students can access forms and create them but they cannot send them to other students.

Thanks, Robyn. Good to know!

I love these ideas! You are so creative and now I have GREAT ideas for my SS project! Thanks! XD

this is all true

Our district is allowing extra credit this year and I have always been totally opposed to offering extra credit. These ideas are worth extra credit, and my focus this year is on what the students can teach me and the rest of their peers.

This gave me some good ideas for culminating activities. Thanks!

Thank you so much for sharing these ideas about creating projects by using the Google Drive! The middle school I teach at implemented a 1:1 program last year with Chromebooks, so the students have easy access to all of the Google apps. I had always grown up using Word docs and I was a little hesitant to start using Google docs at first. After just a few weeks, I absolutely fell in love with it! It is amazing how you can access all of your docs, forms, slides that you create from any device you’re using and the fact that everything automatically saves is just the cherry on top. I am grateful for this feature, especially working in a middle school where it is easy for students to forget to save something before exiting out. Although I teach Math, I found a lot of your project ideas to be utilized cross-curriculum and I truly appreciate it. I got my feet wet last year and had my students create google slides presentations in groups. At the beginning of this year, I started with a google form I created where students answered review questions from 6th grade Math. I love that when you get the results from all of the forms, you can easily see which areas students are struggling in and which areas they are proficient in because it is presented the results in graphs and charts. I just learned recently that you can create quizzes now, which is awesome because all of the testing in my district is done on the computers, so this will help prepare my students. I want to borrow your idea of having students create peer surveys that they can post on Google classroom in order to gather information and analyze results. This is a great skill for students to have. Thanks again, I truly enjoy reading your blogs!

Be positive at all time

Great collection of resources! Easy to read and very helpful for teachers who often do not get the tutorials they need to instruct with GAFE. I particular like the Museum Kiosk idea. It will work great will my history classes.

– Kevin

Hi everyone! I also would like to suggest my own (free) templates site. Im designing these presentations using “free” resources from other sites such as FreePik, FlatIcon,… and I think the result is pretty good. I invite you to have a look. The site is https://slidesppt.com

In the section of student blog posts, can you clarify how all the students in one class could be writing and posting a running blog which everyone in the class can read and respond to ?

This is Holly Burcham, a Customer Experience Manager. The idea Jenn laid out here is to simply create a shared Google Doc where each student would basically be responsible for his/her own page (literally page 1, page 2, etc.). Within a shared Doc, everyone with permission can be in and typing at the same time. Once “posts” are written, students can go in and add comments to others’ work. The comments would show up in the margins and would be arranged by corresponding content, not time like a typical blog post.

But, as you can imagine, this could quickly become very convoluted and a bit messy. The thought behind using Docs as a student blog is more for writing practice, getting the feel for writing a blog post without doing the real thing…

So, if you’re interested in your students truly creating a blog, we highly recommend checking out Edublogs and Kidblog . Hope this helps!

How are these good for projects? you said that these are for kid presentations, all I see are essay templates and idea’s for teachers to map out their classroom jobs(other then the coral)

Hi, Isaac! I’m not sure what could be used to map out classroom jobs specifically from this post, and I think the ideas here go way beyond essay outlines–please get back to me to clarify exactly what you’re referring to, because we believe all the ideas here are good for student use. Thanks!

You might update this post. Google Forms now supports branching which would be much easier to create a “choose your own” adventure type experience.

Thanks for the suggestion. I can picture how that would work, yes, but I guess the aesthetic experience might be lacking in a Google Form. With Slides you have complete creative freedom to design the slides like a real book. I guess it would be a matter of personal preference?

Where do I go to find accessibility features of Google docs, slides, and forms? I am a teacher of the blind and visually impaired. This technology is wonderful but without the ability to navigate the site independently, my students are at a lost. Can you direct me?

Hi! A couple of things that may be of help: Go to “Tools” in the menu bar and select Voice Typing (use Google Chrome). You can also click on Add-Ons in the menu bar and add the Speech Recognition Soundwriter extension for free. Here’s a link to find more Google Accessibility features — you just have to spend a bit of time looking through the list to see what may be relevant to your needs. I hope this helps!

You can also combine Google forms and docs to simplify book reports for elementary students: https://electriceducator.blogspot.com/2016/03/elementary-book-report-machine.html?m=1

Is there an available rubric or assessment piece for the museum kiosk activity?

Hi Colleen! No, sorry, I don’t have anything on that!

Hi I am a teacher at a elementary school and I was wondering if you had any ideas for what I could do for an autobiography book report.

Hi Madison,

There really are so many things you can have the kids do — I would first think about what you’re expecting the kids to be able to do in the end. What will actually be assessed and what will they be accountable for? (I suggest checking out Understanding Backward Design if you haven’t already.) From there, they can choose how to present what they learned, meeting the assessment criteria. I think using some of the ideas in the Slides section of the post could work really well, especially Student Made E-Books , or making a short film.

Madison, I love the idea of using Google Slides for autobiography book report. I’m thinking about Jennifer’s Slides suggestions and just tailoring it to your book report criteria/rubric. Thoughts?

thank you very much!!

Thank you! I can’t wait to explore some of these options more. This list is very much appreciated! 🙂

I really appreciate your kindness and your efforts and I’m going to try everything you have mentioned in this wonderful article

Thanks. Higher Ed ESOL Prof -no lesson prep for me… but I DO have my reading list for the next several (10-12) hours! All suggestions added to the original post are appreciated.

I am a huge fan of Google resources, but you have showed me some new ways I can use these. Thank you for sharing!

Thanks for some great ideas! I have another suggestion that I have used before- my students really liked it- a collaborative Google Slides presentation. I did this for types of organic molecules as an intro to organic chemistry. Each pair of students in the class was assigned a specific molecule to research. They had to create 1 slide with some specific information and add to a collaborative google slides presentation that I shared on Google Classroom. When the slideshow was complete, they could all access it, and they used it to take notes.

Great suggestion Susan! Thanks so much for sharing this idea.

I am wondering if I can find similar google instructions to send to my students now that we are teaching remotely and 90% of them probably don’t know how to use Google. This would be a fantastic use of their time. Thank you

Take a look at Jenn’s Google Drive Basics video course ! I think it’s got what you’re looking for – it’s for teachers and students!

I am thinking about doing a Rap Challenge in which they (as teams based on which class period they are in) create lyrics using WWII vocabulary we have used.

I create raps for my students and my though was that I would take parts of ALL of their submissions and create a WWII rap to add to the collection they have heard already.

Which of the Google Drive features would be my best bet for collaboration like that while the students are all working from home?

Hi Jim! I think this could be done in Google Docs pretty easily, as they are just writing a script, correct? If you want to share video or audio, you can just put these files into a shared folder in Drive and give all students access to those files. I hope this helps!

Amazing ideas

An innovative way to eliminate paper.

Hi! I love this site. I am beginning to use technology in my higehr education classroom. Could you help me to suggest some kind of game to use in Communication Skilss? Thanks a lot

Hi! Check out our Gamification Pinterest board and see what might be relevant. Hope this helps!

I’m a college student (who is now a nanny which brought me to this page) and for the screen recording, I highly reccomend Loom over Screencastify. In my experience using both during the remote learning period, the video quality is much higher on Loom, the user interface is easier, and you can’t edit Screencastify videos in an external editor like iMovie. (I had to do a group presentation and since partner lived in Kuwait we used this vs Zoom, etc. to record the presentation since we weren’t recording at the same time. It was very difficult to figure out how to merge our parts of the presentation into a single file.)

Also with screencastify the time limit per video on the free version (5 min I think) was frustrating as my work was longer. May not be a problem for students but for educators using the tool who don’t have the premium, this could be highly inconvenient. With Loom there isn’t a time limit.

What an adventure for me, who’s relatively new to this google drive thing. Mind blowing resources. It’s amazing. I’m excited as to what I can do with and in google drive. I’m definitely taking it one day at a time, will surely enjoy this ‘CRUISE’. Thank you Jennifer.

What does it mean to type I am from Germany?

Hi Flannery! It can mean a few different things depending on the context–either typing on a keyboard or the “kind” of something (“What type of ice cream do you like?”). We’d love to give a specific answer, so please let us know which part of the post or which comment you saw that you’d like more clarification on. Thanks!

Thanks for sharing these ideas. July 2021

I love all the awesome ways to incorporate technology in the classroom. This post had so many options to choose from and some that I personally loved when I was in school. There are so many different ways to make learning fun with technology!

So glad you enjoyed the post!

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Top 31 Creative Google Slides Project Ideas – Amazing Option!

Google Slides is a great platform that makes it so easy to create attractive presentations. Whether you need to create presentations for school or just want to spice up a talk with friends, Google Slides has many cool features that can take your slides to the next level. 

Amazingly, the possibilities are endless—you’re limited only by your creativity! This article will showcase 31 incredibly creative and useful Google Slides ideas spanning many categories to ignite your inspiration. 

For students, we’ve included templates to help make school assignments shine by grabbing attention. Teachers can find innovative timelines, graphic organizers, and visual aid templates to liven up lectures. 

We have fantastic slide layouts with animations, color schemes, and dynamic styles for general presentations that will impress any audience. From those looking to boost their next school presentation to people wanting to develop completely new presentation formats, this comprehensive list has project ideas for students, teachers, and everyone! 

With all these wonderfully unique examples, you’re bound to leave feeling motivated and equipped to create visionary Google Slides presentations that educate and wow whoever’s watching!

Why Using Google Slides Is Beneficial?

Table of Contents

Google Slides has many unique benefits that make creating presentations much easier, more team-friendly, and more engaging. One main advantage is accessibility – using the cloud-based software, people can access Google Slides to make and edit presentations from any device.

This makes it very simple to unite, with multiple people able to work on the slides at the same time. The presentations also save automatically to the cloud, so you don’t have to worry about losing your work. Google Slides also easily integrates other Google software features like embedding YouTube videos. 

The ready-made templates and user-friendly editing tools also help create high-quality slides in a short amount of time. Best of all, Google Slides is free to use, unlike costly other presentation software options. 

With creative possibilities becoming endless through add-ons and integrations, these advantages make Google Slides highly beneficial for all kinds of presenters and presentations. The team-based nature, automatic saving, and built-in creativity open up many possibilities for amazing presentations.

Recommended Reading: “ Top 51 Solar System Project Ideas for Students- Amazing Ideas! “

Top 31 Creative Google Slides Project Ideas For Students And Teachers 

Google Slides offers a powerful yet user-friendly platform for visually engaging and interactive presentations. With the ability to incorporate graphics, video, charts, animations, and more, Slides provides ample opportunity to showcase creativity. The following presentation ideas span a variety of topics and formats to spark your innovative side.

• I nteractive map or timeline

Interactive map or timeline with clickable markers and dates linked to pop-up text, images, video, and audio that flows according to user control, crafting engaging presentations.

• Infographic highlighting research data

Infographics condense volumes of reports into easily digestible, aesthetically pleasing visualizations relying on minimal text, allowing audiences to get key data points and trends quickly.

• Photo essay or digital scrapbook

Photo essay artistically weaving a narrative thread through curated personal images augmenting the storytelling with transitions and cinematic pacing for emotional impact.

• Animated charts and graphs

Animated charts/graphs programming kinetic motion to elucidate data insights, directing audience attention to key takeaways, magnitudes, peaks, and valleys for technological flair.

• Illustrated math concepts

Illustrated math concepts utilizing original drawings, diagrams, models, and shapes to build intuition around abstract formulas, spatial reasoning theory, and complex philosophies.

• Mock yearbook or school newspaper

Mock yearbook or newspaper generating experimental graphic design mimicking student publications with inventive content showcasing happenings from fantasy land.

• Book/movie “trailer”

Movie/book trailers dramatizing beloved novels or film concepts overblown to parody Hollywood hype, paired with imagery leaving mystery about intricate plot details.

• 3D model or sculpture

3D sculpture/model displaying a digitized render of an object, structure or invention that audiences can manipulate with intuitive touch functions to scrutinize details.

• A vision board for goals or dream career

Vision board slide amalgamates aspirational imagery, affirmations, metaphors, and symbols resonating personally to crystallize ambitions over pulse-pounding music.

• Flow chart diagramming a complex process or system.

Complex flow chart leveraging standard shapes and connectors to methodically diagram multifaceted systems, workflows, and processes, promoting better understanding.

• Cartoon or graphic novel-style story

Graphic novel compiling sequential panel illustrations of Originally conceived characters, settings, and story arcs with text bubbles to immerse readers.

• Step-by-step art tutorial

The art technique video tutorial offers step-by-step guidance on mastery of creative skills like painting, knitting, dancing, and music using diagrams and demo breakdowns.

• Road trip route with sights and activities listed

The interactive road trip route sequence incorporates a mapped journey plot with destination snapshots, local insight, lodging ideas, and activity recommendations.

• Mock social media platform profiles and sample posts

Mock social media profile inventing a realistic webpage for an individual or organization emulating aesthetics and features of popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

• Planets or constellations in our solar system

Solar system overview constructing an interactive model highlighting unique facts about planets, orbits, galaxies, and constellations compiled through extensive research.

• Rotating 3D geometry concepts and shapes

3D geometry concepts demonstrate manipulating digital box models to spotlight faces, edges, vertices, and rotations to deepen spatial comprehension through interactive virtual rendering.

• Virtual art gallery showcasing personal artwork

Virtual art gallery curation scans personal artwork portfolios and selectively showcases pieces with optimized lighting and stylized frames to mimic a professional exhibition space digitally.

• Color palette ideas for graphic design projects

Color palette presentation compiling complementary hues, shades, and tones that evoke particular aesthetics for graphics, logos, paintings, fashion pieces, or interior decor inspiration.

• The digital version of your favorite board game

Board game design formulating original mechanics involving cards, characters, dice, timers, and goals against interactive backdrops brought to life through infographics, prototypes, and written rule guides.

• Zodiac signs overview with traits and descriptions

Zodiac signs overview crafting an astrology identity for each sign defined by common personality traits, compatible matches, noted strengths and weaknesses capped with symbolic imagery.

• Interactive choice-based adventure story

Interactive adventure story engineering branching plot lines with clickable decision points, leading audiences through unique story arcs full of cliffhangers and surprises to boost engagement.

• Fashion trend report and seasonal wardrobe plan

Fashion trend report forecasting upcoming styles pivotal to influencer wardrobes with lifestyle depictions and seasonal recommendations for staying on the cutting-edge of what’s hot.

• Reimagined historical event, battle, or myth

Reimagined history portrayal rewriting the narrative of a seminal civilization , battle, or myth from an alternative perspective backed by well-reasoned evidence on why things may have unfolded differently.

• Futuristic sci-fi world concepts and character designs

Sci-fi worldbuilding sketches out the intricacies of imagined planets governed by alien cultures, technologies, political systems, and belief structures down to precise details for authenticity.

• Product Catalog for invented objects

Product catalog advertisement drafting flashy commercials for invented gadgets, appliances, and widgets highlighting extensive capabilities and benefits through character-driven sketches and exchanged dialogue.

• Retro throwback slide design using neon and flashy effects

Retro throwback design applying neon rainbow palettes, abstract geometric pattern s , and bold retro fonts reminiscent of the 80s and 90s for a funky, radical presentation style.

• Cookbook recipes with pictures of ingredients and results

The cookbook outlines curating cuisine containing ingredient lists, prep time estimates, step-by-step cooking directions, final plating suggestions, and wine pairings for gastropub-worthy meals.

• “Behind the Music”-style band profile

Behind the music band profile chronicling the meteoric rise, tragic demise, and eventual reunion of fictional music groups featuring in-depth exposés on members and discographies.

• Public health campaign for health issue awareness

Public health campaign creation produces eye-catching infographics, videos, and engaging copy to promote worthy health initiatives to improve constituencies’ quality of life.

• Animated comic strips with original characters

Animated comic strips are storyboarding illustrated panel sequences following quirky protagonists on humorous adventures, conveying narratives completely visually.

• Architectural blueprints and floorplans

Architectural blueprints formulating technical residential or commercial space designs specifying detailed material notes, dimensions, and 3D renderings for construction groups.

From 3D models to animated comics, this collection of inventive Google Slides projects demonstrates the extensive capabilities available within this popular presentation software. While creativity knows no limits, these examples have ignited ideas for applying graphic design principles, integrating multimedia, and utilizing built-in functionality in original ways. 

Recommended Reading: “ Top 109+ Senior Capstone Project Ideas For Biology Students | Full Guide! “

Closing Up 

This post only touches on the many creative options available with Google Slides. Its tools allow you to mix multimedia, eye-catching images, and original content to engage audiences in any field. 

From students showing academic projects at science fairs to marketers launching products, the platform helps you make presentations that teach and entertain. If our list sparked ideas for you, try building one of these concepts! 

With artistic vision and skillful use of Slides’ features, you could even produce the next viral hit! And if you turn one of these templates into a masterpiece, we’d love to see it – share a link in the comments to inspire other readers for their next big ideas. 

The only limit is your imagination. So try these creative presentation concepts – the possibilities are endless with Google Slides!

What kind of projects can you create besides basic business presentations with Google Slides?

As outlined in the blog post, there are many creative presentation possibilities with Google Slides, like interactive maps, 3D models, animated charts, comics, mock social media pages, and infographics on all topics from art to history to outer space and more!

Do you need advanced technical skills to create a visually engaging Google Slides presentation?

Not necessarily! While animation, interactivity, and graphic design knowledge help create elevated designs, anyone can start conceptualizing fresh presentation ideas. Google Slides has preset options and templates so beginners can make something innovative.

Where can you draw inspiration for brainstorming unique Google Slides projects?

Inspiration can stem from almost anywhere – your favorite movies, video games, art styles, current events, pop culture themes, and characters. Consider what visual mediums excite you or align with your interests and skills. Adapt your perspective to apply concepts in new contexts within presentations.

What practical applications exist for more creative Google Slides outside the classroom?

Creative Google Slides catering to specific audiences have many business applications for marketing products, showcasing company culture, displaying data insights, highlighting portfolio work samples, and generally enlivening dry information. These innovative presentations capture attention and leave a lasting impact!

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Blog Beginner Guides How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

Written by: Krystle Wong Jul 20, 2023

A top-notch presentation possesses the power to drive action. From winning stakeholders over and conveying a powerful message to securing funding — your secret weapon lies within the realm of creating an effective presentation .  

Being an excellent presenter isn’t confined to the boardroom. Whether you’re delivering a presentation at work, pursuing an academic career, involved in a non-profit organization or even a student, nailing the presentation game is a game-changer.

In this article, I’ll cover the top qualities of compelling presentations and walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to give a good presentation. Here’s a little tip to kick things off: for a headstart, check out Venngage’s collection of free presentation templates . They are fully customizable, and the best part is you don’t need professional design skills to make them shine!

These valuable presentation tips cater to individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, encompassing business professionals, sales and marketing teams, educators, trainers, students, researchers, non-profit organizations, public speakers and presenters. 

No matter your field or role, these tips for presenting will equip you with the skills to deliver effective presentations that leave a lasting impression on any audience.

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

Step-by-step guide on how to prepare an effective presentation, 9 effective techniques to deliver a memorable presentation, faqs on making a good presentation, how to create a presentation with venngage in 5 steps.

When it comes to giving an engaging presentation that leaves a lasting impression, it’s not just about the content — it’s also about how you deliver it. Wondering what makes a good presentation? Well, the best presentations I’ve seen consistently exhibit these 10 qualities:

1. Clear structure

No one likes to get lost in a maze of information. Organize your thoughts into a logical flow, complete with an introduction, main points and a solid conclusion. A structured presentation helps your audience follow along effortlessly, leaving them with a sense of satisfaction at the end.

Regardless of your presentation style , a quality presentation starts with a clear roadmap. Browse through Venngage’s template library and select a presentation template that aligns with your content and presentation goals. Here’s a good presentation example template with a logical layout that includes sections for the introduction, main points, supporting information and a conclusion: 

2. Engaging opening

Hook your audience right from the start with an attention-grabbing statement, a fascinating question or maybe even a captivating anecdote. Set the stage for a killer presentation!

The opening moments of your presentation hold immense power – check out these 15 ways to start a presentation to set the stage and captivate your audience.

3. Relevant content

Make sure your content aligns with their interests and needs. Your audience is there for a reason, and that’s to get valuable insights. Avoid fluff and get straight to the point, your audience will be genuinely excited.

4. Effective visual aids

Picture this: a slide with walls of text and tiny charts, yawn! Visual aids should be just that—aiding your presentation. Opt for clear and visually appealing slides, engaging images and informative charts that add value and help reinforce your message.

With Venngage, visualizing data takes no effort at all. You can import data from CSV or Google Sheets seamlessly and create stunning charts, graphs and icon stories effortlessly to showcase your data in a captivating and impactful way.

5. Clear and concise communication

Keep your language simple, and avoid jargon or complicated terms. Communicate your ideas clearly, so your audience can easily grasp and retain the information being conveyed. This can prevent confusion and enhance the overall effectiveness of the message. 

6. Engaging delivery

Spice up your presentation with a sprinkle of enthusiasm! Maintain eye contact, use expressive gestures and vary your tone of voice to keep your audience glued to the edge of their seats. A touch of charisma goes a long way!

7. Interaction and audience engagement

Turn your presentation into an interactive experience — encourage questions, foster discussions and maybe even throw in a fun activity. Engaged audiences are more likely to remember and embrace your message.

Transform your slides into an interactive presentation with Venngage’s dynamic features like pop-ups, clickable icons and animated elements. Engage your audience with interactive content that lets them explore and interact with your presentation for a truly immersive experience.

8. Effective storytelling

Who doesn’t love a good story? Weaving relevant anecdotes, case studies or even a personal story into your presentation can captivate your audience and create a lasting impact. Stories build connections and make your message memorable.

A great presentation background is also essential as it sets the tone, creates visual interest and reinforces your message. Enhance the overall aesthetics of your presentation with these 15 presentation background examples and captivate your audience’s attention.

9. Well-timed pacing

Pace your presentation thoughtfully with well-designed presentation slides, neither rushing through nor dragging it out. Respect your audience’s time and ensure you cover all the essential points without losing their interest.

10. Strong conclusion

Last impressions linger! Summarize your main points and leave your audience with a clear takeaway. End your presentation with a bang , a call to action or an inspiring thought that resonates long after the conclusion.

In-person presentations aside, acing a virtual presentation is of paramount importance in today’s digital world. Check out this guide to learn how you can adapt your in-person presentations into virtual presentations . 

Preparing an effective presentation starts with laying a strong foundation that goes beyond just creating slides and notes. One of the quickest and best ways to make a presentation would be with the help of a good presentation software . 

Otherwise, let me walk you to how to prepare for a presentation step by step and unlock the secrets of crafting a professional presentation that sets you apart.

1. Understand the audience and their needs

Before you dive into preparing your masterpiece, take a moment to get to know your target audience. Tailor your presentation to meet their needs and expectations , and you’ll have them hooked from the start!

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

Time to hit the books (or the internet)! Don’t skimp on the research with your presentation materials — dive deep into the subject matter and gather valuable insights . The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel in delivering your presentation.

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

No one wants to stumble through a chaotic mess of information. Outline your presentation with a clear and logical flow. Start with a captivating introduction, follow up with main points that build on each other and wrap it up with a powerful conclusion that leaves a lasting impression.

Delivering an effective business presentation hinges on captivating your audience, and Venngage’s professionally designed business presentation templates are tailor-made for this purpose. With thoughtfully structured layouts, these templates enhance your message’s clarity and coherence, ensuring a memorable and engaging experience for your audience members.

Don’t want to build your presentation layout from scratch? pick from these 5 foolproof presentation layout ideas that won’t go wrong. 

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

Spice up your presentation with eye-catching visuals! Create slides that complement your message, not overshadow it. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, but that doesn’t mean you need to overload your slides with text.

Well-chosen designs create a cohesive and professional look, capturing your audience’s attention and enhancing the overall effectiveness of your message. Here’s a list of carefully curated PowerPoint presentation templates and great background graphics that will significantly influence the visual appeal and engagement of your presentation.

5. Practice, practice and practice

Practice makes perfect — rehearse your presentation and arrive early to your presentation to help overcome stage fright. Familiarity with your material will boost your presentation skills and help you handle curveballs with ease.

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and seek feedback from friends and colleagues. Constructive criticism can help you identify blind spots and fine-tune your presentation to perfection.

With Venngage’s real-time collaboration feature , receiving feedback and editing your presentation is a seamless process. Group members can access and work on the presentation simultaneously and edit content side by side in real-time. Changes will be reflected immediately to the entire team, promoting seamless teamwork.

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

Prepare for the unexpected by checking your equipment, internet connection and any other potential hiccups. If you’re worried that you’ll miss out on any important points, you could always have note cards prepared. Remember to remain focused and rehearse potential answers to anticipated questions.

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

As the big day approaches, give your presentation one last shine. Review your talking points, practice how to present a presentation and make any final tweaks. Deep breaths — you’re on the brink of delivering a successful presentation!

In competitive environments, persuasive presentations set individuals and organizations apart. To brush up on your presentation skills, read these guides on how to make a persuasive presentation and tips to presenting effectively . 

Whether you’re an experienced presenter or a novice, the right techniques will let your presentation skills soar to new heights!

From public speaking hacks to interactive elements and storytelling prowess, these 9 effective presentation techniques will empower you to leave a lasting impression on your audience and make your presentations unforgettable.

1. Confidence and positive body language

Positive body language instantly captivates your audience, making them believe in your message as much as you do. Strengthen your stage presence and own that stage like it’s your second home! Stand tall, shoulders back and exude confidence. 

2. Eye contact with the audience

Break down that invisible barrier and connect with your audience through their eyes. Maintaining eye contact when giving a presentation builds trust and shows that you’re present and engaged with them.

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

A little movement goes a long way! Emphasize key points with purposeful gestures and don’t be afraid to walk around the stage. Your energy will be contagious!

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

Weave the magic of storytelling into your presentation. Share relatable anecdotes, inspiring success stories or even personal experiences that tug at the heartstrings of your audience. Adjust your pitch, pace and volume to match the emotions and intensity of the story. Varying your speaking voice adds depth and enhances your stage presence.

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

Spice up your presentation with a dash of visual pizzazz! Use slides, images and video clips to add depth and clarity to your message. Just remember, less is more—don’t overwhelm them with information overload. 

Turn your presentations into an interactive party! Involve your audience with questions, polls or group activities. When they actively participate, they become invested in your presentation’s success. Bring your design to life with animated elements. Venngage allows you to apply animations to icons, images and text to create dynamic and engaging visual content.

6. Utilize humor strategically

Laughter is the best medicine—and a fantastic presentation enhancer! A well-placed joke or lighthearted moment can break the ice and create a warm atmosphere , making your audience more receptive to your message.

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

Be attentive to your audience’s reactions and feedback. If they have questions or concerns, address them with genuine interest and respect. Your responsiveness builds rapport and shows that you genuinely care about their experience.

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

Apply the 10-20-30 presentation rule and keep it short, sweet and impactful! Stick to ten slides, deliver your presentation within 20 minutes and use a 30-point font to ensure clarity and focus. Less is more, and your audience will thank you for it!

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

Simplicity is key. Limit each slide to five bullet points, with only five words per bullet point and allow each slide to remain visible for about five seconds. This rule keeps your presentation concise and prevents information overload.

Simple presentations are more engaging because they are easier to follow. Summarize your presentations and keep them simple with Venngage’s gallery of simple presentation templates and ensure that your message is delivered effectively across your audience.

1. How to start a presentation?

To kick off your presentation effectively, begin with an attention-grabbing statement or a powerful quote. Introduce yourself, establish credibility and clearly state the purpose and relevance of your presentation.

2. How to end a presentation?

For a strong conclusion, summarize your talking points and key takeaways. End with a compelling call to action or a thought-provoking question and remember to thank your audience and invite any final questions or interactions.

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

To make your presentation interactive, encourage questions and discussion throughout your talk. Utilize multimedia elements like videos or images and consider including polls, quizzes or group activities to actively involve your audience.

In need of inspiration for your next presentation? I’ve got your back! Pick from these 120+ presentation ideas, topics and examples to get started. 

Creating a stunning presentation with Venngage is a breeze with our user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and professionally designed templates for all your communication needs. 

Here’s how to make a presentation in just 5 simple steps with the help of Venngage:

Step 1: Sign up for Venngage for free using your email, Gmail or Facebook account or simply log in to access your account. 

Step 2: Pick a design from our selection of free presentation templates (they’re all created by our expert in-house designers).

Step 3: Make the template your own by customizing it to fit your content and branding. With Venngage’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor, you can easily modify text, change colors and adjust the layout to create a unique and eye-catching design.

Step 4: Elevate your presentation by incorporating captivating visuals. You can upload your images or choose from Venngage’s vast library of high-quality photos, icons and illustrations. 

Step 5: Upgrade to a premium or business account to export your presentation in PDF and print it for in-person presentations or share it digitally for free!

By following these five simple steps, you’ll have a professionally designed and visually engaging presentation ready in no time. With Venngage’s user-friendly platform, your presentation is sure to make a lasting impression. So, let your creativity flow and get ready to shine in your next presentation!

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