If you have text organized in bullets and sub-bullets, this makeover shows you a way to present the text visually using text in shapes.

1. Slide Makeover #83:
Converting bullets to text
grouped in shapes
Based on Dave Paradi’s ideas at
www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com

2. Far too often, we see slides full of
bullets. It is the default layout, so
many presenters use it because
they aren’t aware of what options
they have for using text on slides.
Here is an example …

3. Product Launch Steps
• Prepare retail locations
 Get signage approved & printed
 Ship signage
 Train staff
• Local advertising
 Identify local publications to target
 Design ads
 Buy space in local newspapers
• Social media
 Prepare social media posts
 Schedule posts to go out
 Connect with influencers to re-post content

4. When your text is organized in
groups (ie. bullet points with sub-
bullets), you can make it easier for
the audience to understand by
grouping the text into shapes.
Like this …

5. Product Launch Steps
Prepare retail
locations
Get signage
approved &
printed
Ship signage
Train staff
Local
advertising
Identify local
publications to
target
Design ads
Buy space in
local newspapers
Social media
Prepare social
media posts
Schedule posts to
go out
Connect with
influencers to re-
post content

6. By grouping the text so there is a
header and the detailed text
underneath, it makes the
organization easier to understand.

7. Do you need to be a designer to
create this sort of slide? Can you
create this easily in PowerPoint?
Yes you can. Here’s how that slide
is created.

8. Product Launch Steps
Prepare retail
locations
Get signage
approved &
printed
Ship signage
Train staff
Local
advertising
Identify local
publications to
target
Design ads
Buy space in
local newspapers
Social media
Prepare social
media posts
Schedule posts to
go out
Connect with
influencers to re-
post content
Each shape is a
rectangle that
includes text. Add
text to the shape
instead of putting a
text box on top of
the shape.

9. Product Launch Steps
Prepare retail
locations
Get signage
approved &
printed
Ship signage
Train staff
Local
advertising
Identify local
publications to
target
Design ads
Buy space in
local newspapers
Social media
Prepare social
media posts
Schedule posts to
go out
Connect with
influencers to re-
post content
The text in a shape
can be formatted
with font size, font
color, line spacing,
alignment, and all
of the other text
formatting options.

10. Product Launch Steps
Prepare retail
locations
Get signage
approved &
printed
Ship signage
Train staff
Local
advertising
Identify local
publications to
target
Design ads
Buy space in
local newspapers
Social media
Prepare social
media posts
Schedule posts to
go out
Connect with
influencers to re-
post content
The two shapes
are aligned and
grouped so they
can be duplicated
easily to create the
rest of the text
shapes on the
slide.

11. Product Launch Steps
Prepare retail
locations
Get signage
approved &
printed
Ship signage
Train staff
Local
advertising
Identify local
publications to
target
Design ads
Buy space in
local newspapers
Social media
Prepare social
media posts
Schedule posts to
go out
Connect with
influencers to re-
post content
The three groups are aligned & distributed to
give a clean, organized look.

12. Not every text slide needs to be
converted to an image, diagram, or
graph. When you use text slides,
use options that make them more
attractive and easier to understand.

13. If you want more ideas on
converting bullet point slides into
more visually appealing text, you
can check out my video e-course
on Alternatives to Bullet Points.

14. Before After
Lessons:
1. Look for opportunities to organize text points into groups
2. Use shapes to create the groups of text
3. Use the Align & Distribute tools to design a clean slide
Quick recap:
More makeovers available at www.SlideMakeoverVideos.com

15. If you would like me to help
your team create presentations
that have a clear message with
focused content and effective
visuals, get in touch:
P: 905-510-4911
E: Dave@ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com
W: www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com