How to make a splendid circular flow chart

PowerPoint 365
Iterative processes are the core of any business, and Microsoft PowerPoint provides several templates for cyclic processes: basic cycle, text cycle, block cycle, etc. Cyclic diagrams provide an easy way to illustrate a circular flow of money and goods of the buy, product, and sell process; or steps of iterative decision making of the marketing process.

SmartArt templates are fine for internal use, but presentations that you create for your customers or partners need a more professional look. Probably, you have seen expensive circular flow charts on the Internet and were thinking of how much you need to spend on the professional designer work. But you don't need to pay extra money to create a splendid circular flow chart.

A splendid circular flow chart in PowerPoint 2016

To make a chart like the one above, do the following:

   1.   Add the base Block Arc shape:

   1.1.   On the Insert tab, in the Illustrations group, select Shapes:

Shapes in PowerPoint 2016

   1.2.   In the Shapes list, from the Basic Shapes group, choose the Block Arc shape:

Basic Shapes in PowerPoint 2016

   2.   Format the Block Arc shape:

   2.1.   Change sizes for the shape (under Drawing Tools, on the Format tab, in the Size group), for example:

Size Shapes in PowerPoint 2016

   2.2.   Change the thickness and format of this shape using yellow points:

Thickness of shape in PowerPoint 2016

   3.   Add two oval shapes:

Two oval shapes in PowerPoint 2016

For this example, the blue circle diameter is 5.25 cm, and the yellow one diameter is 6 cm.

   4.   Union and subtract shapes:

   4.1.   Select blue shapes and under Drawing Tools, on the Format tab, in the Insert Shapes group, choose the Merge Shapes dropdown list and then select Union:

Union shapes in PowerPoint 2016

This operation creates a new shape:

United shapes in PowerPoint 2016

   4.2.   Select the new shape and the yellow circle, then under Drawing Tools, on the Format tab, in the Insert Shapes group, choose the Merge Shapes dropdown list and click Subtract:

Subtract shapes in PowerPoint 2016

This operation creates another new shape:

Subtracted shapes in PowerPoint 2016

   5.   Add a new oval shape in the center of the new shape.

   6.   Copy the shape three times and then rotate copied shapes:

Four shapes in PowerPoint 2016

To rotate the selected shape, do one of the following:

  • Use the rotation handle in the top of the selecting border:
    Rotation handle in PowerPoint 2016
  • Under Drawing Tools, on the Format tab, in the Arrange group, select some commands in the Rotate dropdown list:
    Rotation in PowerPoint 2016

   7.   Add texts and other adjustments for these shapes:

Four formatted shapes in PowerPoint 2016

When you enter a text, for some shapes, it might have the wrong direction because of the shape rotation. To change the direction, do the following:

   7.1.   Right-click on the shape and choose Format Shape... in the popup menu:

Format shape in popup in PowerPoint 2016

   7.2.   On the Format Shape pane, on the Text Options tab, in the Text Effect group, in the 3-D Rotation section, choose the appropriate angles of Z Rotation for each shape (90o, 180o, and 270o):

Shapes rotation in PowerPoint 2016

   8.   Add pictures to the shapes.

See also this tip in French: Comment faire un magnifique diagramme de flux circulaire.

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