PowerPoint makes it easy to create info diagrams, and the SmartArt feature is awesome. Yet, there are times when PowerPoint’s offerings need to be supplemented by third-party content. Timelines are a great example, and this is the first in a series that will explore timeline slides.
While you can quickly create a timeline in PowerPoint using available shapes, it’s always more interesting if your timelines look different. Why? That’s because if you want your content to stand out in a crowd, it must be different. Audiences get bored of slides that look the same, and some people in the audience may even be unconsciously not receptive to the straight-line timeline that most PowerPoint users create!
We explored the collections of all slide template vendors, and found 7 timeline graphics that win brownie points for being different. Our first, different timeline comes from SlideTeam, among the largest resources of PowerPoint slide content, with offices in the United States and India. My contact was Akash Bathla
Look at this particular slide template for a timeline. SlideTeam calls it a GPS Road Map : )
Although you could ideally use it as a GPS Road Map, there’s nothing preventing you from using this template in any slide scenario that calls for a simple, 6 step timeline. You can also use it for timelines that require 4 or 5 steps by deleting extra timeline stops.
You will notice that each timeline stop is a map pin, and these pins are all native PowerPoint objects that can be customized as required. The template you download from SlideTeam has specific instructions for such customizations, as shown in the figure below.
While the slides you download are not animated, each map pin/timeline stop is an individual object, as are all the text boxes. You can, therefore, animate these in sequence as required. Also, all objects on the slide can be recolored, and instructions to do so are included as part of the template slides.
Template Link | Aspect Ratio: Standard (4:3) Only
If you have found a timeline template that’s different than others, do let us know by adding a comment. Also, if you are a vendor who wants their templates to be featured as part of this series, do get in touch with us via our feedback form.
See More Timelines that are Different: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07