Here are some simple tips/hacks which are very helpful in designing a presentation. These hacks do not need any special knowledge. All material required for the hack is included in the presentation itself.

1. HACKS
to create an
AWESOME PPT
Sharad Singh
Entrepreneur, Finance Geek, Techie, Design Explorer

2. OBJECTIVE WHAT IT’S NOT
WHAT YOU NEED WHAT YOU DON’T
Design a PPT with a nice visual
impact. Use simple/free ways
that can create a WOW effect
with ZERO cost.
It's only about design and not
content. How to plan content
has been covered nicely by
Alok (http://goo.gl/cXnQfZ)
Basic PPT skills, A creative
intent to wow the audience &
The beautiful mind ;)
Any photo-shop skills or Any
coding skills.

3. 1
TYPOGRAPHY
Hack #

4. Use appropriate
Fonts, Size, Shading
Take inspiration from GOOD WEBSITES
Google for typography, best websites etc. Observe their use of CAPS, font-
sizes, bold/italics & color

5. Use appropriate
Fonts, Size, Shading
For key slides, try LANDING PAGES
Google on "best landing pages". Observe how to gather audience attention.
Take note of adverts in newspaper, magazines.

6. Using NEW fonts
You may want to use fonts not available in PPT/word like
Helvetica, Open Sans etc.
Here is how to do it:
Google and download font
Copy it in fonts folder (normally C:WindowsFonts)
Close and reopen your PPT and you will have the font in the dropdown
Usage of Typography… [Next 2 slides]
Be careful while sending the PPT if you have used any new font. The received
would not be able to see the right formatting. Send PDF instead.

7. Enabling fund managers to create better portfolios with ease & agility
On-Demand Analytics
Real time or historical, information or analytics, data or visuals;
Everything available within seconds.
100% Coverage
All asset classes, flexible models, custom indices, carve-in, carve-out.
You name it. We have it.
Zero Manual Intervention
100% automated data integration, sophisticated alert mechanisms.
Escape data hassles.
ORIGINAL SLIDE WITH NORMAL TEXT

8. Enabling fund managers to
Create BETTER portfolios
with EASE & AGILITY
ON-DEMAND Analytics 100% Coverage ZERO Manual Effort
Real time or historical,
information or analytics, data or
visuals
Available within seconds.
All asset classes, flexible models,
custom indices, carve-in, carve-
out
You name it. We have it.
100% automated data
integration, sophisticated alert
mechanisms
Escape data hassles.
IMPROVED SLIDE WITH TYPOGRAPHY

9. 2
IMAGIFICATION
Hack #

10. Image SELECTION.
Do LATERAL THINKING to get impactful images.
SUBTLETY is the key.
If we use the business keywords to search, we shall get very obvious and
direct images. We must think of a concept to depict the subject and
accordingly search images.
Example of how to select images on next slide…

11. Image SELECTION.
EXAMPLE
To depict a solution that provides “analytics for making informed decisions”.
Keywords ‘analytics’, ‘decision’ based
image
CONCEPT based image. (bringing clarity,
information)
Very direct images. Common ones. Not impressive. Subtle. Effective. Differentiates the design from normal ones.

12. Use YOUR OWN CLICKED.
Use SELF-CLICKED IMAGES: the ones that you have
clicked on your phone/camera.
This is Alok’s (facebook.com/rodinhood) hack, mentioned in his ppt
(http://goo.gl/cXnQfZ).
Example of how to select images on next slide…

13. GO FREE …
Freeimages.com
Unsplash.com
https://bootstrapbay.com/blog/free-stock-photos/
… and many others
-

14. Manage HOVER TEXT on Images …
After putting an image on a slide, right click it, Go to ‘Size & Position’, Go
to ‘Alt Text’ tab and check the text there. Generally it has the full source
path of the image. This is visible to reader on hover (if you send the ppt
as pdf) and is not what you may like.
Empty this and/or put your own chosen text, punch line or a message
that you wish to communicate.

15. 3
ICONS
Hack #

16. Use icons. They shine.
Create PROFESSIONAL ICONS in less than 1
minute. (The big hack :)
Check-out Font-Awesome. They are free awesome icons for the web.
(http://fortawesome.github.io/Font-Awesome/icons/). Here is how you
can use them in your PPT:
ALL ICONS IN THIS PPT ARE DONE USING FONT-AWESOME.
How to create icons NEXT …

17. Create icons
1. Download the embedded file FontAwesome.html and save it on your PC
2. Open it on a browser. It will have the ‘Instagram’ icon used in Hack3’s title slide.
3. Open the file in notepad to Edit.
4. Read instructions in file and set the size of icon (font-size) and text color(color) and background-
color that you want (here is the part of code to edit) [use colorpicker.com to convert RGB to hex
codes]
5. Select the icon that you want from the link ((http://fortawesome.github.io/Font-
Awesome/icons/)
6. Put it’s name in place of ‘instagram’ (So if you pick up the icon showing globe which has the name
‘globe’, your code after change should look like ‘fa-globe’ in place of ‘fa-instagram’)
7. Save the file and refresh the page. You are Done…!!!
8. Use PrintScreen and Snipping Tool to cut the icon from the browser and paste it wherever you want.
<div style="margin:15px; font-size:150px; color:#B5748C;background-color:#9F506D;padding:24px; ">
<i class="fa fa-instagram "></i>
</div>
Download this

18. Use icons. They shine.
Use symbols from WEBDINGS, WINGINDS fonts
In the text-box, Insert->Symbol. Select Webdings or Wingdings font from the
font drop-down and use the icons present there.
Cons
Limited icons, not very flexible with size, not that sharp on smaller sizes.
Should suffice for quick work.

This icon is using WEBDINGS font.

19. 4
INFOGRAPHICS
Hack #

20. Use info-graphic to convey points…
How to get one.
 Take inspiration from STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
Try fotolia, istockphoto etc. websites and search for info-graphics. You
will be amazed to find the collection. Find one that suits your collection.
 Re-build them using BASIC SHAPES in PPT
[Example on next slide]
Easy to do, may take some time in the first few attempts but becomes
easy, effective and economical later.

21. TARGET
Let’s create a cool one…

Let’s make one of the standee and rest
would be similar
1
Create a circle with white fill and no outline and give it a shadow.
The shapes and fill tools are present in top Drawing tab of Home
section.
2
Create a donut with no border and place it within the
first white circle. This donut is smaller than the circle.
Color gradient on donut:
1. Shape Fill> Gradient > More Gradients
2. Fill > Gradient Fill
3. Add 2 stops: Stop1 (select Orange color)
at 0%. Stop2: (Green color) at 100%.
contd…

22. Let’s create a cool one… (contd.)
3
Put a textbox within the donut.
Go to Insert>Symbol and Select
a symbol using font Webdings/
Wingdings. Select all items and
group these pieces (CTRL+G).

4
Create a rectangle and do the
gradient fill, but with opposite
gradient colors. Green at 0%
and Orange at 100%.
5
Create a crescent with white fill
and no border and place it
appropriately to give the curve
effect.
6
Copy the same crescent, flip it
horizontally and place it
appropriately to give it a
stand look. Group these 3
pieces together.
7
Copy the donut from
step 2, make it bigger
and flatter.
8
Make a rectangle with white
fill and place it over the
donut to give a saucer look.
Group these.
9
Let’s stitch the 3 pieces
together.
Copy the main circle with
icon from Step 3 and paste it
over the saucer. Group all
these together.

10
Place output from
Step 9 over the
stand from Step 6
and we are done
with one standee.

VOILA. We have replicated one of the
complex stuff.
Re-do this for as many items you want
and add that zing to the ppt.

23. Use info-graphic to convey points…
How to get one.
Use PPTs’ inbuilt SMARTART
Use Insert > SmartArt and select from the
inbuilt structures of PPT.
Cons
Suffices for basic purposes but issues with
flexibility and handling.
MS PPT

24. 5
COLORS
Hack #

25. Get Awesome Color Combinations.
Search on stock photo websites and pick colors from info-graphics and
vector images.
Try flatuicolorpicker.com, coolors.co and other color generators to generate
color themes
Look for Nursery rhymes videos on YouTube (HooplaKidz, Mother Goose…
etc.)… ;) They have very nice color combinations and give great ideas on
shades that go together

26. Get an Exact Color code.
Here is the trick to copy color from an image:
 Open MSPaint and paste image on that
 Select ColorPicker and click on the color (within the image) that you want
 You can see the intended color selected as Color1 beside the color palette
 Click on Edit Colors and it shows the RGB colors
 Use this RGB as needed in your PPT
MSPaint COLORPICKER

27. Merging colors for uniform look
Sometimes the image that you use on a slide is smaller than the slide size and
has a background color. You may want to merge this image with the slide and
make the slide look professional.
Here is the trick:
Get the color of the image background (as explained in previous slide)
Fill the entire slide background with that color
Use this trick to fully or partially merge images on a slide.
Sample work on next slide…

28. No matter how small your fund is …
=YOU BIGinstitutions.
The INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY ANALYTICS …
The image is only up till
this line. Above that, is a
rectangle with yellow fill.

29. . . . PARTING TIPS
 Enable GRIDLINES for help in alignment
Check the ‘Gridlines’ box in ‘View’ tab.
 Use CTRL key for finer movements
While using arrows to move a shape, box etc, use CTRL key + Arrow to
do finer adjustments
 Change SLIDE SIZE as needed
I use PPT with A4 size slides to format documents, if needed, as PPT
gives much more control on formatting as compared to word. (Then
you have to ship it as PDF)

30. 3sharad@gmail.com
https://twitter.com/3sharad
https://www.facebook.com/3sharad
https://in.linkedin.com/in/singhsharad
Sharad Singh
Please COMMENT on this and CONTRIBUTE your hacks. I would
love to include those with due credits.
I am entrepreneur working in the fin-tech space making investing easy and
information based for fund managers, advisers and investors.