What is SmartArt?
Microsoft describes a SmartArt graphic as "a visual representation of your information that you can quickly and easily create… to effectively communicate your message or ideas."
Why do I need that?
Visuals tend to help people comprehend concepts, data or ideas much better than reading a description. SmartArt provides defined templates and layouts to help you communicate your message in a more creative manner which captures the reader's attention. This is particularly important in presentations, sales pitches or for sending reports to stakeholders in a project.
How do I use SmartArt?
Word 2010 makes it quite easy to use its templates and layouts. Use the following steps to insert a SmartArt graphic:
- In the ribbon, choose the Insert tab
- Locate the Illustrations group
- Click the SmartArt command
- In the SmartArt dialogue box, you choose the graphic you want to use
- Once you have chosen a graphic, click anywhere you see [Text] and enter the text you want to put in that spot.
Note: As you type, all text size will adjust automatically
Much like when working with an inserted picture, when clicking the SmartArt graphic, you see both a Design and Format tab. If you are unsure of your graphic choice, you can choose different layouts, styles and colors for your graphic under the Design tab. With the Format tab, you can add color fills, outlines and effects to your graphic or change its positions as you would with an image.
You can use images with your SmartArt graphics as well. To do so, insert an image as discussed in our previous blog post, Microsoft Word 2010 Image Options. In the Format tab, locate the Pictures Styles group and select the Picture Layout command for a dropdown of available SmartArt graphics. Choose a graphic and you can enter text along with your image.
The SmartArt feature is great for presentations and reports and we recommend taking advantage of these features to boost your communications in creative and effective ways.