Create Interactive Presentations quickly

Here is the easiest way to create interactive presentations using PowerPoint. My approach is simpler and more flexible compared to trigger based interaction. You will be able to create a set of options or agenda items and click on each one to show the details. You can choose items in any order.

Watch the six-minute video for details.

How to create interactive presentations – without triggers

The concept is simple. But it does require some work.

1. We divide the slide in two parts –
   1. The static part
   2. and the dynamic part
2. The static part contains the menu or options or agenda
3. The dynamic part shows details for each item

Step-by-step

See video for details.

1. Go to slide layout view and duplicate the Title and Two Content layout.
2. Rename it as “Interactive”
3. Add slides using the Interactive layout
4. Add an agenda slide plus one slide for each topic
5. Use the right side placeholder for details
6. Go to Slide Show – Custom Show – Add option
7. Create a Custom Show for each topic.
8. Each custom show contains just one slide for that topic.
9. Now go to the agenda slide and type the menu items in it
10. Right click and create a simple List type of SmartArt
11. Select each item in SmartArt and press Ctrl K or Insert Hyperlink
12. In the hyperlink dialog – choose Place in this Document
13. DO NOT select an individual slide.
14. Scroll down to see a list of Custom Shows we just created
15. Remember to select the “Show and Return” checkbox
16. Choose the corresponding custom show
17. Repeat this for every menu item.
18. Now we want this SmartArt to appear across all topic slides
19. Therefore, CUT the SmartArt
20. Go to the Slide Layout Master “Interactive” which we created earlier
21. Delete the left placeholder
22. Paste the SmartArt. It should fit perfectly.
23. Now switch to Normal view and test the presentation
24. Run the agenda slide and then click on any menu item
25. This is how you create interactive presentations

How to add more items to the menu?

By now you should be able to work this out:

1. Add a new slide for the new topic
2. Add details in the right side placeholder
3. Create a single-slide custom show for the new topic
4. Go to the Layout Master
5. Edit the SmartArt and add the new topic
6. Create a hyperlink to the new Custom Show
7. Don’t forget the select the “Show and Return” checkbox
8. That’s it.

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