to open the SmartArt dialog box: SmartArt Graphics
When you want to use a SmartArt graphic, you'll have a gallery of layouts to choose from. A layout refers to the types and arrangement of shapes in the graphic, and how they're grouped or connected.
Layouts for SmartArt graphics are collected in full in the All category within the Choose a SmartArt Graphic dialog box (shown in the animation). Then they're broken down into these types:
You will create the seven charts shown below. To insert a SmartArt graphic, with the Insert tab selected click the SmartArt button to open the SmartArt dialog box:
For this activity you will create seven SmartArt charts that represent each of the categories shown below. Before you begin a few pointers in helping you create the SmartArt graphics below.
Add or Delete Shapes in your SmartArt Graphic
Click the SmartArt graphic that you want to add another shape to.
Click the existing shape that is located closest to where you want to add the new shape.
Under SmartArt Tools, on the Design tab, in the Create Graphic group, click the arrow under Add Shape.If you don't see the SmartArt Tools or Design tabs, make sure that you've selected the SmartArt graphic.
Do one of the following:
To insert a circle after the selected shape, that will overlap the selected shape, click Add Shape After.
To insert a shape before the selected circle, that will overlap the selected shape, click Add Shape Before.
To add a shape from the Text pane, click an existing shape, move your cursor before or after the text where you want to add the shape, and then press ENTER.
To delete a shape from your SmartArt graphic, click the shape you want to delete, and then press DELETE. To delete your entire SmartArt graphic, click the border of your SmartArt graphic, and then press DELETE.Change the Colors of an Entire SmartArt Graphic
Click your SmartArt graphic.
Under SmartArt Tools, on the Design tab, in the SmartArt Styles group, click Change Colors.If you don't see the SmartArt Tools or Design tabs, make sure that you've selected a SmartArt graphic.
Click the color variation that you want.
Apply a SmartArt Style to a SmartArt Graphic
A SmartArt Style is a combination of various effects, such as line style, bevel, or 3-D, that you can apply to the shapes in your SmartArt graphic to create a unique and professionally designed look.
Click your SmartArt graphic.
Under SmartArt Tools, on the Design tab, in the SmartArt Styles group, click the SmartArt Style that you want.To see more SmartArt Styles, click the More button
.
Recreate the following seven SmartArt graphics shown below:
List SmartArt
For this graphic select the Vertical Block List, apply the Colorful Range - Accent Colors 5 to 6 color and add the SmartArt style Cartoon:
This SmartArt graphic uses a layout from the List type. The graphic keeps the vertical list idea but breaks the general concepts, shown in the shapes on the left, apart from the details — reserved for the longer shapes, with smaller text, on the right.
List layouts are typically for items that you want to group but which don't follow a step-by-step process.
To keep text size readable, you'll want to limit the amount of text you put in the shapes within the graphic.
Process SmartArt
For this graphic select the Basic Chevron Process, apply the Colorful Fill - Accent 2 color and add the SmartArt style Polished and change the font color to yellow:
The SmartArt graphic here uses a Process-type layout that contains repeating shapes and one long, winding arrow to connect each step and show a directional flow. You could substitute any shapes for these if you wanted to use standard flowchart shapes to represent types of steps.
There are over 30 types of layouts for processes, and they often include connecting arrows to show direction or progression — be it for phases in the development of a plan or product; points in a timeline; or a depiction of how elements combine in any fashion to produce a result.
Cycle SmartArt
For this graphic select the Basic Cycle, apply the Colorful Accent Color color and add the SmartArt style Metallic Scene:
The Cycle type of SmartArt graphic illustrates a circular, or repeating, process.
Examples might include product or animal life cycles, an ongoing writing and publishing cycle for a Web site, or the performance review an employee works toward yearly that starts with goal-setting, involves periodic checkpoints, and culminates at year's end — then starts over.
The layout above effectively shows both the cycle and how each piece of it fits into a whole.
Hierarchy SmartArt
For this graphic select the Table Hierarchy, apply the Colorful Range - Accent Colors 3 to 4 color and add the SmartArt style Inset and apply chervon down text effect to only the top text box:
This Hierarchical layout shows the branches of a family of outdoor equipment. It works vertically, using shape size, text, and color-coding to make the levels clear.
A typical use for this SmartArt graphic type, called Hierarchy, is the company organization chart. The picture uses the layout that's most geared toward showing a company's hierarchy of positions.
There are various hierarchical layouts, though. A hierarchy might show a decision tree or family of products.
Relationship SmartArt
For this graphic select the Converging Radical Relationship, apply the Dark 2 Fill color and add the SmartArt style Bird's Eye View style and apply fill white drop shadow to all the text boxes:
The Relationship-type layouts cover a range of diagram types, including radial, Venn, and target. These typically depict a connection between two or more sets of things or information.
Matrix SmartArt
For this graphic select the Grid Matrix, apply the Colored Outline Accent 4 color and add apply Accent Color 2, 18 pt Glow to the last text box:
The Matrix layout type shows the relationship of components to a whole, and can depict more complex relationships by using axes, such as the example here.
This layout is called a Grid Matrix. Each axis functions to show a range in terms of cost and of craft. The layout itself includes the quadrants and the axes, but it's set up so you can add, outside the axes, whatever labels apply.
Pyramid SmartArt
For this graphic select the Pyramid List, apply the Sunset Scene style:
The Pyramid-type layouts show proportional, foundation-based, or hierarchical relationships or processes that typically build upward.
This example shows an ever-refining process that starts with gathering unfiltered data, shown at the bottom, continues upward with sifting through the data and toward drawing conclusions about it. The layout is designed to give you more room for text as the pyramid narrows.
And so you've gotten a look at what SmartArt graphics can look like, contain, and do. In the next lessons, you'll see how to create, work with, and polish them.
