AutoShapes and SmartArt

Hello students, welcome to Kwickprep. A flowchart or a family tree is hard to explain in plain text. Office programs give you ready shapes and ready diagrams for this. Today we will learn AutoShapes and SmartArt, and when to use each one.

Let us first understand the two terms. AutoShapes are ready made shapes, like arrows, circles and stars, that you draw yourself. SmartArt is a ready made diagram that is built from your text, like a process or a chart of people. Both are found on the Insert tab. They work in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. In newer versions, AutoShapes are simply called Shapes.

Shapes are arranged in groups. Lines include straight lines and arrows to connect things. Rectangles include squares and rounded boxes. Basic Shapes include circles and triangles. Block Arrows show directions, like a right arrow or a U turn. Flowchart shapes include the diamond for a decision and the oval for start. Stars and Banners are good for headings or a sale offer.

Here are the steps to draw a shape. Go to the Insert tab and click Shapes. Pick the shape you want from the list. Click and drag on the page to draw it. Then drag the small round handles at the corners to change its size.

A few tips make drawing easier. Hold the Shift key while dragging to draw a perfect circle or a perfect square. The curved arrow on top of a shape is the rotation handle, used to turn it. Some shapes also show a small yellow handle that changes their form, like the point of an arrow. To type inside a shape, right click it and choose Add Text.

When you select a shape, a new tab called Shape Format appears on the ribbon. Shape Fill sets the colour inside the shape. Shape Outline sets the colour and thickness of its border. Shape Effects adds a shadow, a glow or a three D look. In older versions, this tab is called Drawing Tools Format.

When you have many shapes, you need to arrange them. Group joins selected shapes, so they move and resize as one object. Bring Forward and Send Backward decide which shape sits on top when they overlap. Align lines up shapes neatly, to the left or to the middle. Ungroup separates them again, so you can edit one shape.

Now let us come to SmartArt. SmartArt makes a diagram from a simple list of text. When you change the text, the diagram updates on its own. Colours and design can be changed in one click. It is great for showing steps, cycles and charts of a team.

SmartArt comes in several types. List shows separate points, like school rules. Process shows steps in order, like the steps of admission. Cycle shows steps that repeat, like the water cycle. Hierarchy shows levels of rank, like the principal, teachers and students. Relationship shows links, like a Venn diagram. Pyramid shows parts by size, like the food pyramid.

Here is how to insert SmartArt. Go to the Insert tab and click SmartArt. Choose a type on the left, pick a layout, and click OK. A Text Pane opens, where each line you type becomes one box. Press Enter for a new box, and press Tab to move an item one level lower, as in a hierarchy.

Once inserted, you can style it easily. When SmartArt is selected, the SmartArt Design tab appears. Change Colors picks a new colour set for all boxes at once. SmartArt Styles gives a flat, shadow or three D look. The Layouts gallery switches to another diagram, and your text stays safe.

Let us compare the two. AutoShapes are made by your drawing, while SmartArt is made from your text. AutoShapes are best for free designs, and SmartArt for neat, standard diagrams. To add a box with shapes, you draw it again, but with SmartArt you just press Enter. With shapes you arrange everything, while SmartArt arranges the layout automatically.

Pause and predict. You must show four stages of a course: admission, classes, exams and result. These steps happen in order, one after another. Which SmartArt type fits best? The answer is Process, because it shows steps in order.

Let us revise what we learned today. AutoShapes are ready shapes that you draw from Insert, Shapes. Hold Shift to draw a perfect circle or square. SmartArt builds a neat diagram from your text. Its main types are List, Process, Cycle, Hierarchy, Relationship and Pyramid. Try drawing your school's staff chart with SmartArt Hierarchy today.