In this lesson
Build a slide with a title, three action bullets and a source note that a manager can read quickly.
Example
A readable onboarding update
Start with this paragraph: The pilot will welcome 24 employees on 7 October. Team leads will confirm attendance by 3 October. Each participant receives a 45-minute welcome session, access to the starter checklist and a named buddy. The team asks for a planned budget of $2,400. Build one slide for busy managers. Keep the full paragraph in notes so you can refer to the detail when presenting.
How it works
Paragraph formatting controls the entire paragraph: bullets, indentation, alignment and spacing. Selecting a few characters only changes character formatting, so fix the paragraph structure before choosing decorative text effects.
A title or content placeholder belongs to the slide layout. A text box is useful for a source note, and shape text is useful for a short callout. Neither should silently replace the slide title.
Steps
Create a Title and Content slide called Onboarding needs one clear owner. Keep the actual title placeholder and use a plain light background while checking the structure.
Paste the source paragraph into the Notes area. In the content placeholder enter three bullets: Confirm attendance by 3 October; Deliver a 45-minute welcome on 7 October; Assign a buddy to every participant.
Select all three paragraphs and choose Home › Bullets. Set body text to 24 pt and remove unnecessary sub-bullets; make each bullet start with an action verb.
Use Home › Paragraph controls to give the bullets consistent indentation and spacing. Keep left alignment, and remove blank paragraphs rather than manually creating a gap with repeated Enter presses.
Choose Insert › Text Box and add Planning basis: 24 employees; proposed budget $2,400 below the main content. Use a smaller but readable source-note size and keep it inside the slide margins.
Insert a small rounded rectangle with the text Decision: approve pilot. Use Shape Format to set its fill and border. Start Slide Show and read the smallest text from the distance where your audience will sit.
Try it yourself
- Create a second version for participants. Change the three bullets to Attend on 7 October; Bring the starter checklist; Meet your assigned buddy. Retain the 24-employee planning basis in notes.
- Reduce the window to roughly half screen width and read both versions aloud. If a line wraps awkwardly, shorten that line before reducing the entire slide font size.
Show expected result
- Manager version has three action bullets, a genuine title and the exact 24-employee/$2,400 source note.
- Participant version has three participant actions; neither version relies on a paragraph shrunk to unreadable text.
If something goes wrong
- The text suddenly becomes much smaller when another bullet is typed.
- The placeholder may be set to shrink text automatically. Shorten the bullet or split the content across slides. Select the placeholder border and check its text-box Autofit settings before accepting a smaller font.
- Changing one line gives only part of the bullet a new appearance.
- Select the whole paragraph to change bullets, indentation or spacing. Select the placeholder border to format all its text. Check for a font override on the odd-looking words.
Quick check
Try these questions after the exercise. Check the result in your app before marking the lesson complete.
Choose an answer for all 3 questions to check your understanding.
Optional: try it with Copilot
If you have Copilot, try this after the exercise. Keep the original file and compare its suggestions with your own result.
Rewrite the supplied onboarding paragraph as three parallel manager actions. Preserve 3 October, 7 October, 45 minutes, 24 employees and $2,400; do not add benefits or savings.
More from Microsoft
These Microsoft guides cover the tools used in this lesson.
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