How to Animate SmartArt Graphics in PowerPoint Presentations

PowerPoint SmartArt graphics were introduced in MS Office 2007 and are available in PowerPoint 2010 and the new PowerPoint 2013. You can use SmartArt to quickly add nice graphics to your presentations including workflow diagrams, process diagrams as well as comparison tables or graphics with pictures. This is a great alternative to show information and an alternative to bullet points or bullet list. You can use animated PowerPoint SmartArt graphics to present a business concept, idea or improve your existing PowerPoint slide decks instead of using the boring bullet points.

In this article we will show you how easy is to add a custom animation to a Smart Art graphic in PowerPoint 2010, so you can animate each part of the diagram or PowerPoint graphic to make it more attractive for the end user and engage the audience.

How to Animate SmartArt Graphics using PowerPoint 2010

Start downloading this free SmartArt template with block lists, and then go to Animations menu on top of the PowerPoint ribbon.

Select the block list SmartArt graphic and then insert an animation. You can for example use the Split animation or any other animation that you want.

Then, make sure to select Effect Options and then click on One by One so the animation is applied to every object inside the SmartArt graphic.

To see the live animation, press Shift F5 or start the slideshow. You can also configure the animation by changing the timing and effect if you want.

Here you can see a live example using the split animation.

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