How to Get Designer on PowerPoint on Mac

PowerPoint is a powerful tool for creating presentations, and if you're using a Mac, you might be wondering how to access and use the Designer feature to enhance your slides. PowerPoint Designer, also known as Design Ideas, is a feature that provides design suggestions for your slides to help make them look more professional and visually appealing. Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting and using Designer on PowerPoint on a Mac:

1. Ensure You Have an Active Microsoft 365 Subscription: To use PowerPoint Designer, you need to have an active Microsoft 365 subscription. This feature is not available in standalone versions of PowerPoint. If you’re not sure whether your subscription includes Designer, check your Microsoft account details.

2. Update PowerPoint: Make sure your PowerPoint is up-to-date. Designer is available in the latest versions of PowerPoint. To check for updates, open PowerPoint, go to the 'Help' menu, and select 'Check for Updates'. Follow the prompts to install any available updates.

3. Enable Designer: Once you’ve confirmed your subscription and updated PowerPoint, you need to make sure Designer is enabled. Go to 'PowerPoint' in the menu bar, select 'Preferences', and then 'General'. Look for the option labeled 'Automatically show me design ideas' and ensure it is checked. This setting will enable Designer to provide suggestions automatically.

4. Create or Open a Presentation: Start a new presentation or open an existing one where you want to use Designer. Designer works with both new and existing presentations, so you can enhance your slides no matter where you start.

5. Add Content to Your Slides: For Designer to offer suggestions, you need to have some content on your slides. Add text, images, and other elements to your slides. Designer uses this content to generate relevant design suggestions.

6. Access Design Ideas: As you add content to your slides, Designer should automatically start generating design ideas. You’ll see a pane appear on the right side of the screen with various design options. If the pane doesn’t appear, you can manually open it by clicking on 'Design' in the menu bar and then selecting 'Design Ideas' from the drop-down menu.

7. Review and Apply Design Suggestions: Browse through the design suggestions provided by Designer. When you find one you like, click on it to apply it to your slide. Designer will adjust the layout and design elements to match the chosen suggestion, enhancing the visual appeal of your presentation.

8. Customize Your Design: After applying a design suggestion, you can still customize your slide. Adjust text, images, and other elements as needed. Designer’s suggestions are a starting point, and you can modify them to better fit your content and style.

9. Save Your Presentation: Once you’re satisfied with the design of your slides, save your presentation. Click on 'File' in the menu bar and select 'Save' or 'Save As' to choose a location and file name.

10. Troubleshooting: If Designer is not showing up or not providing suggestions, try the following troubleshooting steps:

• Ensure you are connected to the internet, as Designer requires an online connection.
• Restart PowerPoint and try again.
• Check your Microsoft 365 subscription status to ensure it is active.
• Verify that you are using the latest version of PowerPoint.

By following these steps, you can effectively use PowerPoint Designer on your Mac to create polished and professional presentations with minimal effort. Designer helps streamline the design process, allowing you to focus more on your content and less on formatting.