How to make a splendid circular flow chart

PowerPoint 2016
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 365

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 365

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

Basic Shapes in PowerPoint 365

   2.   Format the Block Arc shape:

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

Size Shapes in PowerPoint 365

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

Thickness of shape in PowerPoint 365

   3.   Add two oval shapes:

Two oval shapes in PowerPoint 365

For this example, the blue circle's diameter is 2.36", and the yellow one's diameter is 2.07".

   4.   Union and subtract shapes:

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

Union shapes in PowerPoint 365

This operation creates a new shape:

United shapes in PowerPoint 365

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

Subtract shapes in PowerPoint 365

This operation creates another new shape:

Subtracted shapes in PowerPoint 365

   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 365

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

  • Use the rotation handle at the top of the selecting border:
    Rotation handle in PowerPoint 365
  • On the Shape Format tab, in the Arrange group, select some commands in the Rotate dropdown list:
    Rotation in PowerPoint 365

   7.   Add texts and other adjustments for these shapes:

Four formatted shapes in PowerPoint 365

When you enter a text, for some shapes, it might have the wrong direction for some shapes 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 365

   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 365

   8.   Add pictures to the shapes.

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

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