It was an important concept to visualize because of the emotional impact. People are afraid to lose their data (dust is one of the top reasons that computers fail) and 24-hour protection makes them relax, knowing that their data is safe from dust.
Presenters often struggle when visualizing concepts because the concepts may be abstract or because they simply can’t find the right graphic.
I found this image at Stockunlimited.com, where I have a lifetime account. The site has both photos and vector files and I use it a lot. I think it’s the best value in royalty-free images around.
To get it into PowerPoint, here’s what I did:
- Downloaded the EPS file.
- Chose Insert, Picture and inserted it into PowerPoint.
- Ungrouped the image and clicked Yes to convert it to a drawing object.
- Ungrouped it a second time.
- Deleted several blank rectangles, leaving me 2 objects, the arc with the arrow and the clock hands.
Unfortunately, the hands were all one object and I wanted to animate just the hour hand, rotating it around the clock to represent 24 hours. So I deleted that object and created 2 hands with simple lines. Of course, I matched the color and width of the arc.
Tip: To get the rounded end, right-click the line and choose Format Shape. In the Line section, change the Cap Type to Round.
Creating the clock from scratch
Since you might not have access to this image, I figured out a way to create it from scratch in PowerPoint. It’s a bit of work to create the arc and you might be satisfied with a full circle instead of a partial one, but I really liked the arrow effect.
Here’s how I did it. (7-minute video)
Collect your own set of concept visualizations
Buying access to vector drawings is one way to get the raw materials you need. I have a collection of 50 Business Concept Diagrams that are a great starting point.
What are some concepts you’ve visualized?
What did you do to make the concept clear and powerful? Leave a comment and use the Share buttons because other presenters would like to know.