PowerPoint slide with several shapes and one picture

PowerPoint 365
When you create a presentation, you simply choose some existing company presentation template. However, you might need to invent something new and creative to impress the stakeholders. This tip shows how to use several simple shapes to create a visually appealing design for your slides.
Several shapes and one picture in PowerPoint 2016

To create the slide like the one above, do the following:

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

Shapes in PowerPoint 2016

   2.   In the Shapes list, from the Rectangle group, select and add to the slide several Rectangles shapes:

Rectangle shapes in PowerPoint 2016

   3.   Positioning them like you want, for example:

Several rectangles in PowerPoint 2016

Notes:

  • To position shapes easy, you can use Grids and Gridlines.

    To turn them on or off, on the View tab, in the Show group, check or uncheck Guides and/or Gridlines:

    Show group in PowerPoint 2016
  • To create squares, you can enter or choose width and height under Drawing Tools, on the Format tab, in the Size group:
    Size group in PowerPoint 2016

   4.   Add a picture to some of these shapes:

   4.1   Select shapes that will show the picture, for example:

Selected rectangles in PowerPoint 2016

   4.2.   Do one of the following:

  • On the Home tab, in the Drawing group, select the Arrange drop-down list, and then click the Group command:
    Arrange Group in PowerPoint 2016
  • Under Drawing Tools, on the Format tab, in the Arrange group, click the Group command:
    Drawing Tools group shapes in PowerPoint 2016
  • Right-click one of the objects and choose Group -> Group from the popup menu:
    Popup group shapes in PowerPoint 2016

PowerPoint puts a single box around the objects instead of a separate box around each object:

Grouped shapes in PowerPoint 2016

   4.3.   Right-click on the grouped shapes and choose Format Shape... from the popup menu:

Format shape in popup PowerPoint 2016

   4.4.   On the Format Shape pane, on the Shape Options tab, in the Fill & Line group:

  • In the Fill section:
    • Choose Picture or texture fill,
    • Click on the File... button and then choose the picture you have chosen:
    Insert file in Format Picture pane PowerPoint 2016
  • In the Line section, select No line:
    Line in Format Shape pane in PowerPoint 2016

   5.   Change the color for the remaining shapes:

   5.1.   Select one of the shapes or all of them.

   5.2.   Right-click on the selection and choose Format Shape... from the popup menu.

   5.3.   In the Format Shape pane, on the Shape Options tab, in the Fill & Line group, in the Fill section choose Solid fill and then select Color as you prefer:

Fill in Format Shape pane in PowerPoint 2016

Add any other adjustments you like.

See also this tip in French: Comment créer une diapositive PowerPoint avec plusieurs formes et une image.

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