If you grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, you’ve definitely seen your fair share of terrible animations and transitions. Those fancy boomerang or bouncing transitions or maybe even the unnecessary origami transition?

Before jumping into the question of whether or not people should be jailed for overusing transitions, let’s break down the differences between two functions that have gotten a lot of people confused. Transitions vs Animation.

What is the Difference?

Transitions occur between slides. If you have 10 slides in your deck, you’ll only get to pick 10 transitions.

As for Animation, that refers to individual object andelement effects. Every element on your slide including text, graphics, tables,charts, shapes and icons can be animated.

How Do You Add Transitions to Slides?

The top 3 presentation software available in the market are Microsoft PowerPoint, Keynote and Google Slides. Each of them comes with their own transitions.

On Microsoft PowerPoint, you’ll get to add transitions to your slides by navigating to the Transitions tab.

On Keynote, you’ll get to do it by clicking on Animate and Add an Effect.

On Google Slides, the function can be found on the Transition button.

All transition effects can be found listed there for you topick from.

Why Bother with Transitions?

The goal of your presentation is to create a seamless, engaging storyline that your audience can follow. Transitions in your presentation should be similar to how they are used in movies. They piece together your points on each slide into a unified story. The best transitions are the ones that aren’t noticeable. Like everything else that’s added to your presentation, keep it simple. Your presentation should be a supplementary tool and visual aid. It shouldn’t take away from what you’re saying.

Top Transitions for Professional Presentations

In this instance, less is more. If you can’t help yourself and need flashy transitions, do away with them altogether.

If you think you can have the self-control to pick the right transitions for your slides, here are the best ones. Remember, a unified look is best and that comes with hitting “Apply to all slides” button when you’ve picked the one you want.

The names of the transitions are pretty self-explanatory and the best way to experience them is to see a preview when trying them out.

Morph

Fade

Push

Cut

To Sum It Up

Transitions can make your presentation look professional only if you know how to use them. The key here is to remember the mantra “less is more”. Use them at your own discretion. The goal of your presentation should always be on you giving your point and the focus should be on what you have to say. Your slides are a complementary visual tool that helps you get your point across. If you’re unsure of how to use transitions, leave them out entirely or seek the help of professionals like Mad Creative Beanstalk. We’ll be happy to help you create the presentation you deserve.

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