How to use icons for professional PowerPoint presentations

When it comes to impactful PowerPoint, every detail matters—especially the visuals. Now enter icons—simple, striking graphics that bring life to your ideas, communicating complex concepts into instantly recognizable symbols. These universally understood icons resonate with audiences and elevate ideas into something memorable and engaging. By enhancing text, grabbing attention, and creating a cleaner aesthetic, they can boost both the visual appeal and the clarity of a presentation, making them an essential visual tool to keep in your arsenal. 

What are icons in PowerPoint?

Icons are simplified graphics that represent ideas, objects, or categories, which make them perfect for conveying concepts quickly. Unlike images, which are more detailed, icons instead distill meaning into recognizable symbols. Consider the examples you encounter day to day, the lightbulb to represent an idea, or the paper plane that symbolizes a sent message. These are universally understood, and audiences need little effort to interpret them. 

Why use icons in PowerPoint presentations?

Since they also come in various styles, colors, and detail levels, icons serve a functional and aesthetic purpose in a presentation. They help enhance the overall slide design as well as reinforce the key messages. By strategically including them in your slides, you can make your content more engaging and visually impactful, as well as for other reasons: 

They support text

As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” They complement the text by conveying their ideas in a digestible format, making the slide more visually appealing. They help reduce the amount of text and keep the audience focused, rather than lost in lengthy paragraphs. When paired together, they can highlight the key takeaways of a text, and since they’re easily recognizable, the audience can grasp the topic at a glance. 

They make your presentation stand out

When every slide is packed with endless bullet points and the same stock photos, it gets boring. Icons here are a game-changer, adding an original element to your while still allowing you to maintain the layout. Instead of sticking to basic bullet points, you can use them to make them more visually appealing. Best part? They’re really easy to use and incorporate. Once you select or customize your options, you can just drag and drop them to wherever you want. They make your slides look polished while saving you time since they are always within reach. 

They give your slides a “cleaner” look

You can significantly reduce visual clutter in your slides by replacing words or bullet points with icons. This doesn’t need a groundbreaking layout to achieve, but it can still enhance the overall readability and professionalism of your slide deck. They help create white space between elements, making the content easier on the eyes. Incorporating them is an effortless way to clean up your slides and leave an impact.

How to insert icons in PowerPoint

There are many ways to incorporate this element in your presentation. A simple Google search will likely show you hundreds of options you can copy and paste directly into your slide. However, since many of these options would be PNG files, they lack the flexibility of those that are vector-based. PNGs cannot be resized or customized without compromising the quality. Instead, here are other options where you can find the perfect options:

PowerPoint Icon Library

If you’re using Microsoft 365, you can access various icons through the built-in PowerPoint Icon Library. To find it, simply go to the Insert tab, then select Icons.

A window will appear with hundreds of different options that you can choose from, organized into themes and allowing you to insert multiple options at once. They are also easily customizable in terms of size, color, alignment, etc., making them a quick and practical solution. 

However, the one downside is that PowerPoint’s options tend to be a bit basic and do not suit more creative or specialized presentations. If you’re aiming for a more unique or visually memorable style, then exploring external resources might be a better option. 

Third-party icon resources

If you don’t have access to Microsoft Office’s icon library, there are still several alternatives for great, high-quality options that can enhance your slides. Websites like Flaticon, The Noun Project, and Icon Finder all have extensive libraries for vector icons, many in SVG format, or Scalable Vector Graphics. 

SVG icons are ideal for representations since they can be customized and edited without losing their quality. For example, The Noun Project lets users fix the background and colors directly on the website before downloading. Though most are free, there are premium designs that require a small cost to use. 

To use the files from third-party libraries, download the icon from the website. Then import it to PowerPoint by going to Insert, then Pictures, and clicking From File. From there, choose your downloaded icon. 

Quick tips for using icons in PowerPoint

Be cohesive 

When incorporating this element in a presentation, it’s important to stick to a unified style and maintain consistency across all slides. Mismatched options will look disjointed and unprofessional, so commit to one icon set, whether it is flat, outlined, or filled, to maintain a consistent aesthetic. 

Use simple and straightforward options

When choosing options you want to use, go for simple, easily recognizable options that can convey meaning at a glance. This is particularly important as an audience can have varying levels of familiarity with different symbols. So if an icon is confusing or requires extra explanation, it might distract your message. 

Use them intentionally

Instead of settling for the first icon you see, invest a bit more time in sourcing examples that reflect your slides’ themes and content. Look for ones that complement your material and communicate your ideas more effectively. This approach will elevate the overall impact of your content.

Less is more

The purpose of icons is to clarify and declutter your slides, not to distract. So before adding in an icon, consider if it actually enhances your slide deck or if it simply takes up space. Aim for simplicity and try to ensure that each icon serves a purpose in your narrative. 

Icons are powerful tools for effective communication, and by incorporating them into your PowerPoint, you can simplify big ideas and add a professional touch to your slides. Consider how these symbols can transform and declutter your slides. Embrace their versatility and make your ideas shine. At Prezlab, being a presentation design agency, we use all tools at our disposal to transform presentations into something unforgettable, whether through custom illustrations, animations, storytelling, and more.