Creating engaging and visually appealing infographics in PowerPoint can be a game-changer for your presentations. Whether you’re presenting a project plan, a workflow, or a business process, infographics help communicate complex information clearly and attractively. Today, I will walk you through a detailed, step-by-step process of creating a stunning seven-step infographic using PowerPoint, with a little help from a powerful free tool called Inkscape.

This method will not only teach you how to make a beautiful seven-step infographic but will also show you how to slice a circle or doughnut shape into any number of equal parts — a task that can be tricky when dealing with odd numbers like seven. By the end of this article, you’ll have a versatile skill set to create custom infographics tailored to your needs, and you’ll learn how to integrate vector graphics seamlessly between Inkscape and PowerPoint.

Let’s dive right in!

Table of Contents

• Why Use Inkscape Alongside PowerPoint?
• Step 1: Understanding the Challenge of Dividing Circles
• Step 2: Dividing a Circle into Even Parts in PowerPoint
• Step 3: The Difficulty with Odd Number Divisions
• Step 4: Using Inkscape to Divide a Circle into Seven Parts
• Step 5: Importing and Editing the SVG in PowerPoint
• Step 6: Customizing Your Seven-Step Infographic
• Step 7: Adding Animations for Presentation Impact
• Final Touches and Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Conclusion

Why Use Inkscape Alongside PowerPoint?

PowerPoint is a fantastic presentation tool, but when it comes to precise vector shape manipulation, it has some limitations. For example, dividing a circle into an even number of parts is straightforward in PowerPoint because the angles are simple and snap to common increments like 15°, 30°, 45°, or 60°. But what if you want to divide a circle into an odd number of parts, say seven? The angles become non-standard and difficult to calculate and replicate accurately in PowerPoint.

This is where Inkscape comes in. Inkscape is a free, open-source vector graphics editor available on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It allows you to create precise vector shapes, manipulate them with mathematical accuracy, and export them as SVG files. These SVG files can then be imported into PowerPoint as editable shapes, giving you the best of both worlds: the precision of a vector editor and the presentation power of PowerPoint.

Recently, I took an excellent Skillshare class called Inkscape Quickstart: Up and Running Quickly by Dan Webb, and I’ve been applying what I learned to enhance my presentations. If you’re interested in leveling up your design skills, I highly recommend checking out Skillshare. The first 1,000 people who click the link in the description can get two months of Skillshare Premium for free.

Step 1: Understanding the Challenge of Dividing Circles

Before we jump into the design process, let’s understand why dividing a circle into equal parts can be challenging in PowerPoint.

When you divide a circle into an even number of parts, the angles are simple fractions of 360°. For instance:

• Six parts: each slice is 60°
• Eight parts: each slice is 45°

In PowerPoint, rotating shapes by these angles is easy because it snaps to 15° increments by default. This makes it straightforward to create six or eight equal slices of a doughnut or circle shape.

However, if you want to divide a circle into an odd number of parts, such as seven, the angle is approximately 51.43°. PowerPoint does not snap to this angle, so you need to calculate and manually enter the rotation for each slice, which is tedious and prone to errors.

Here’s a quick example:

• For six parts, rotate a rectangle 60° each time to fit perfectly around the circle.
• For seven parts, rotate a rectangle 51.43° each time, which is harder to do accurately in PowerPoint.

Step 2: Dividing a Circle into Even Parts in PowerPoint

Let’s quickly review how to divide a circle or doughnut shape into an even number of parts in PowerPoint, such as six or eight parts. Here’s the method:

1. Start by drawing a doughnut shape (a circle with a hole in the middle).
2. Draw a small rectangle aligned with the doughnut’s edge. This rectangle will act as the “divider.”
3. Duplicate the rectangle (Command + D or Ctrl + D) and rotate it by the angle corresponding to the number of parts (e.g., 60° for six parts, 45° for eight parts). Hold Shift to snap the rotation.
4. Repeat duplicating and rotating until you have as many rectangles as parts.
5. Select all the rectangles, go to Shape Format > Merge Shapes > Union to combine them into one shape.
6. Select the combined rectangle shape and the doughnut shape, then go to Merge Shapes and choose Fragment. This splits the doughnut into equal parts.
7. Delete the unwanted shapes to leave only the parts you want.

This method works well for even numbers because the rotation angles are easy to snap to.

Step 3: The Difficulty with Odd Number Divisions

However, when you try to do the same for an odd number like seven, you face problems:

• The rotation angle (360° ÷ 7 ≈ 51.43°) does not snap in PowerPoint.
• You can manually enter the rotation angle for each slice, but it requires calculation and is time-consuming.
• Eyeballing it by dragging the shapes is inaccurate and unprofessional.

So, to create a seven-step infographic, we need a better approach to divide the doughnut shape into seven equal slices precisely and efficiently.

Step 4: Using Inkscape to Divide a Circle into Seven Parts

Inkscape is the perfect tool to solve this problem. It allows precise rotation by any angle and cloning objects with transformations applied, which is very helpful for dividing shapes equally.

Here is a detailed step-by-step guide to creating seven equal parts in Inkscape:

1. Open Inkscape and prepare the workspace: Hide page borders for a cleaner workspace.
2. Create a rectangle: Use the rectangle tool to draw a vertical rectangle that will act as your divider shape.
3. Make the rectangle transparent: Adjust the fill color’s alpha (transparency) to around 50% to see through it while working.
4. Set the rotation center: Click once on the rectangle, then click again to reveal the rotation center (a small plus sign). Drag it to the bottom center of the rectangle while holding the Control key to keep it aligned vertically. This will be the pivot point for rotation.
5. Clone the rectangle: Select the rectangle and go to Edit > Clone > Create Clone. This creates a linked copy of the original rectangle.
6. Rotate the clone by the required angle: With the clone selected, open Object > Transform > Rotate tab. Enter the rotation angle as 360 divided by the number of parts (in this case, 7). So, type “360/7” and press Enter. Click Apply to rotate the clone exactly by 51.43°.
7. Duplicate and rotate clones: With the rotated clone selected, press Command + D (or Ctrl + D) to duplicate it, then click Apply again in the Rotate tab to rotate the new clone by the same angle relative to the previous one. Repeat this until you have seven rectangles evenly spaced.
8. Adjust width and gaps: Change the width of the original rectangle, and all clones will update automatically, giving you control over the gap size between slices.
9. Combine all rectangles: Select all seven rectangles and go to Path > Union to merge them into one shape.
10. Save as SVG: Save your file as an SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) file to import into PowerPoint.

This method is fast, precise, and flexible. The cloning feature is especially powerful because it links all clones to the original, allowing easy edits and adjustments.

Step 5: Importing and Editing the SVG in PowerPoint

After creating your seven-part divider shape in Inkscape, the next step is to bring it into PowerPoint and use it to split your doughnut shape.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Open PowerPoint and start with a fresh slide.
2. Go to Insert > Pictures > This Device and select the SVG file you saved from Inkscape.
3. Resize and position the shape on your slide. Hold down Shift and Control (or Command on Mac) while resizing to scale from the center.
4. Convert the imported SVG to an editable PowerPoint shape by clicking the “Convert to Shape” button in the ribbon.
5. Align the shape to the center of the slide using the Align tools and nudge it vertically if needed to ensure perfect centering.
6. Paste your doughnut shape on the slide and send it to the back (Right-click > Send to Back).
7. Select both the doughnut and the imported seven-part shape, then go to Shape Format > Merge Shapes > Fragment. This will divide the doughnut into seven equal slices.
8. Delete any extra unwanted shapes, then select the slices you want to keep and paste them back onto the slide.

Now you have your doughnut shape perfectly divided into seven equal parts, ready to be customized with colors, text, and effects.

Step 6: Customizing Your Seven-Step Infographic

With the seven slices created, it’s time to customize the infographic to make it visually appealing and aligned with your presentation’s style.

Changing Colors

Start by selecting each slice individually and applying fill colors. I recommend creating a custom color palette for consistency and harmony throughout the infographic.

Create Slides in Seconds with ExpertSlides AI

Generate AI Presentations today:

TRY NOW!

To create a custom palette in PowerPoint:

1. Go to the Design tab and click Colors > Customize Colors.
2. Modify the Accent colors to your preferred palette, which will be available for quick access.

Apply these colors to your slices to create a professional and polished look.

Adding 3D Effects

To add depth and a modern touch, you can apply 3D formatting to the slices:

1. Right-click on a slice and select Format Shape.
2. Go to 3D Format options.
3. Set the Top Bevel to 10 points width and height, and Depth to 200 points.
4. Collapse the 3D Format options and go to 3D Rotation.
5. Select a preset like “Perspective, Relaxed, Moderately” to give the infographic a dynamic perspective.
6. Adjust the rotation arrows to tweak the perspective until you’re happy with the look.

These effects give your infographic a professional, polished, and eye-catching appearance.

Adding Text and Labels

Next, add text boxes for each step’s title or description. You can copy and paste pre-designed text boxes from previous slides or create new ones.

When resizing text boxes, hold down Control + Shift (or Command + Shift on Mac) while dragging to resize from the center, maintaining alignment and balance.

Arrange the text boxes near each slice, adjusting spacing to avoid clutter and maintain readability.

Step 7: Adding Animations for Presentation Impact

Animations can make your infographic more engaging during your presentation. Here’s how you can add simple yet effective animations to your seven-step infographic:

1. Select each text box or slice group.
2. Go to the Animations tab and choose an entrance effect like Fly In.
3. Set the direction (from left or right) to add dynamic movement.
4. Use the Animation Pane to fine-tune the timing and order of animations, staggering them for a smooth flow.
5. Use the Animation Painter tool to copy animations from one object to another for consistency.

These subtle animations help guide your audience’s attention and make your infographic come alive.

Final Touches and Tips

Once your infographic is designed and animated, review the slide to ensure:

• All elements are aligned and centered properly.
• Colors are consistent and visually appealing.
• Text is legible and clearly associated with the corresponding slice.
• Animations run smoothly without overlap or awkward delays.

Grouping all slices together (Ctrl + G or Command + G) helps you move and resize the entire infographic as one unit without losing your layout.

Additionally, you can add your logo, background elements, or other branding details to personalize the infographic further.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I divide a circle into any number of parts using this method?

Yes! By using Inkscape’s cloning and rotation features, you can divide a circle or doughnut shape into any number of equal parts, whether even or odd. Just change the divisor in the rotation calculation (360° divided by the number of parts) to fit your needs.

Is Inkscape difficult to learn?

Inkscape has a learning curve like any vector editor, but it’s very user-friendly with plenty of tutorials available online. Taking a beginner course, such as the one by Dan Webb on Skillshare, can help you get started quickly.

Can I edit the SVG shapes after importing them into PowerPoint?

Yes. When you insert an SVG file into PowerPoint and convert it to shapes, you can edit individual points, colors, and other properties just like native PowerPoint shapes.

Do I need to know math to divide the circle accurately?

Basic math helps, but you don’t need to calculate angles manually. Inkscape’s Object Transform feature allows you to enter formulas like “360/7” directly, so it does the math for you.

Can I use this infographic for commercial presentations?

Absolutely. The method and tools used here are perfect for creating professional-quality infographics for any purpose, including business, education, or marketing presentations.

Conclusion

Creating a seven-step infographic in PowerPoint can seem challenging, especially when dividing a circle into odd-numbered parts. However, by combining the power of Inkscape and PowerPoint, you can produce precise, beautiful, and customizable infographics with ease.

This process not only saves time but also enhances the quality and professionalism of your presentations. With Inkscape’s free, open-source tools and PowerPoint’s familiar interface, you have a versatile workflow that can be adapted to any infographic or diagram you need.

Remember, mastering these tools and techniques will open up new creative possibilities and make your presentations stand out. So, start experimenting with Inkscape, import your designs into PowerPoint, and watch your infographics come to life!

Stay happy, stay healthy, and keep creating amazing presentations!

Check out the full video: How to Create 🔥 7 Step Infographic 🔥 in PowerPoint