Whether on smartphones, in magazines and brochures, or on websites – icons are everywhere. Use PowerPoint icons in your presentations too! These small pictograms are visually appealing and, when used skillfully, complement your (text) slides.
Why you should also use PowerPoint icons and what advantages you gain from using them can be read in the following article.
PowerPoint Icons: These are pictograms
A PowerPoint icon (also called a pictogram) is a simplified visual representation. Pictograms are actually part of our everyday lives, and that's precisely why their simplicity is so important.
A classic example is the pedestrian traffic light man. The red, stationary man means "stop," while the green, walking man means "go."
As you can see, icons work without words and are still understandable.
Your advantages when using PowerPoint icons
Let's be honest: Most presentations are overflowing with too much text, bullet points, facts, and Excel spreadsheets. Yet you already know that visual content is much easier to understand and remember. And of course, graphics and images can convey your story, emotions, and brand much better than text alone.
Besides images , PowerPoint icons (small pictograms) are now also very popular for adding variety, structuring your texts and setting visual anchors .
Despite their visual representation of a concept, pictograms don't appear childish; their simplicity lends them a professional look. They make your presentations appear uncluttered , guaranteeing your PowerPoint slides will attract more attention .
Icons can also be used as visual navigation aids to guide the audience through the presentation. By using specific icons as links for sections, topics, or references to previous slides, you make it easier for the audience to orient themselves and enable better structuring of the content.
Tip: Utilize the versatility of PowerPoint icons: In addition to using them statically, you can also incorporate animation effects into your pictograms. Cleverly integrated animations can bring icons to life, increasing audience attention and making the presentation more dynamic. Animation functions such as fade-in, rotate, or zoom add an extra dimension to the icons and can help to gradually reveal information and support the narrative flow.
Further advantages of pictograms:
- PowerPoint offers free and royalty-free pictograms (see chapter "Here you can find pictograms in PowerPoint")
- The icons are freely scalable because they are vector graphics. The resolution does not change.
- Pictograms can be customized with different colors.
- Icons improve readability
Icons instead of bullet points
One area where PowerPoint icons have proven useful is in bulleted lists and bulleted bullet points. While these serve their purpose, they are not very visually appealing and offer no visual appeal.
The easiest way to get rid of bullet points is to use icons.
Instead, use PowerPoint pictograms! Use a pictogram as a bullet point. These visuals not only make your slides more engaging but also directly support your thematic statements.
Here you will find pictograms in PowerPoint.
PowerPoint offers its users a wide selection of royalty-free pictograms free of charge. These can be found in the "Insert" tab by clicking on the "Pictograms" option. A pop-up window will then open.
Here you'll find a selection of over 500 PowerPoint icons, sorted into categories. Use the search field to find the perfect icon by entering a keyword.
How to insert pictograms in PowerPoint
Once you've chosen a pictogram, click on it. Your selection will be marked with a checkmark. To insert the icon onto your slide, select "Insert" .
Want to insert multiple pictograms on your slide? Simply select as many PowerPoint pictograms as you like and click "Insert" to place them on your slide. Besides the "Insert" option, PowerPoint keeps track of how many icons you've selected.
Edit PowerPoint icons
Microsoft PowerPoint offers black icons by default. However, these can be changed to any color you like . You can also resize and adjust individual elements of the icon.
To edit your PowerPoint icon, click on it. The "Graphic Format" tab will then open.
Change color
In the "Graphic Styles" button, select the "Graphic Fill" option. You can now choose the desired color in the pop-up window or set a custom color under "More Fill Colors" .
Edit individual segments of the pictogram
Microsoft PowerPoint allows users to customize individual segments of pictograms as desired. Proceed as follows:
- In the "Graphic Format" tab, select the " Convert to Shape " option.
- In some PowerPoint versions, a pop-up window now appears with a warning. The message states that the pictogram will be broken down into its individual components and will no longer represent a single unit. Click "Yes" to continue editing.
- The pictogram is now displayed broken down into its individual parts on your slide. To edit individual elements, press Ctrl + Shift + H to ungroup them.
- The segments are now available to you as individual elements . Now edit your desired element.
- Once you've finished editing, you can save your newly designed pictogram as a vector graphic. This way, you can easily include it in your future slides. To do this, right-click on the edited element. In the context menu that appears, select "Save as Picture" . Tip: Save the vector graphic as an .emf or .wmf file. These files can be used without any problems in all PowerPoint versions.
These are the aspects you should consider when using icons.
Make sure to choose icons that are appropriate for the target audience and the topic of the presentation . It is important to use icons sparingly to avoid cluttering the slides.
Furthermore, you should use PowerPoint icons consistently . This means harmonizing their size and color to ensure a uniform appearance . This strengthens the visual identity of the presentation and helps create a strong brand perception.
PowerPoint icons play a crucial role in brand communication that shouldn't be underestimated. Consistently using the same icons that reflect your corporate design strengthens your brand and messaging . This also makes your brand memorable and recognizable : customers and partners associate the icons with your brand and develop a positive connection, which fosters brand loyalty and enhances your company's image in the long run.
Pictograms from PresentationLoad: 4 popular PowerPoint icon usage ideas
PresentationLoad offers a wide selection of professionally designed PowerPoint icons. These are applicable to a variety of (business) areas and can be customized. We have compiled four popular PowerPoint icon usage ideas for you:
Business Icons
Using business icons allows you to represent various products, processes, or characteristics of the business world . For example, skillfully integrate pictograms to save slide space or shorten your presentation time during pitch presentations.
Pictograms allow you to communicate content to your audience in a visual and memorable way . Avoid long, tedious texts and replace them with icons that visually convey your message.
Furthermore, icons are visually appealing, liven up your presentations and demonstrate modernity.
Agenda Icons
Every presentation needs an agenda. An agenda gives your audience a brief, structured overview of your presentation's content. You can find more information about agendas in our article "Creating PowerPoint Tables of Contents" .
Agendas often still use bullet points, which are visually unappealing. To replace them with more visually appealing options, you can use our agenda icons. Agenda icons allow you to make your agenda more creative and engaging through pictograms, giving it a more modern and interesting look.
Images have been proven to be more memorable than text . Therefore, you should strategically use PowerPoint icons to make your content more memorable.
Try Agenda Icons today and make a great first impression right at the beginning of your presentation with these pictograms.
Flat Design Icons
Flat design describes a graphically minimalist design style , suited to the simple visual representation of icons. Flat design 2.0 expands upon this style with drop shadows and highlights in various color palettes. This gives the icons a sense of depth and makes them more noticeable due to the more vibrant colors.
Save space on your slides and skillfully convey content in a memorable and visually appealing way through the use of flat design icons .
Isometric icons
Isometric design is the design trend for modern presentations. It is the direct successor to the previously dominant flat design. Isometric PowerPoint icons also represent simple and minimalist visuals without many special effects such as shading or gradients.
The major difference from flat design is the three-dimensional representation , which gives the isometric designs a depth that allows for better perception . Furthermore, the 3D design makes the PowerPoint icons appear even more interesting and appealing.
The three-dimensional design allows for even more detail to be incorporated into the icons, enabling you to better adapt them to your theme.
Isometric icons are also a good option for replacing bullet points. Try it out and connect your points with suitable visual accents.
More icon ideas
Feel free to browse our shop. Here you'll find numerous other professionally curated PowerPoint icon collections . You'll find many designs and a wide variety of (business) themes.
► To the shop
Conclusion: Use PowerPoint icons for more visually appealing presentations!
Using PowerPoint icons allows you to present your content in a more vivid, memorable, varied, and generally better way. Simplify your slides and save space by using pictograms. Leave a lasting impression on your audience with these modern visuals.
Do you have questions about PowerPoint icons or other PowerPoint-related topics? Feel free to contact us by email at becker@presentationload.de . We're happy to help!
Feel free to browse our shop. Here you'll find numerous PowerPoint icon collections, including options for your (business) theme! All pictograms are individually customizable . Try it out today! ► To the shop
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