Whether you’re looking to tell better data stories, or you want to improve the look and feel of your charts, PowerPoint is a powerful, and often misused tool. When you understand how to use the functions of PowerPoint, you can unlock its true potential as an instrument for information design.

Led by Adam Frost and Tobias Sturt from leading creative agency Add Two, this interactive course will cover every aspect of the presentation process, beginning with finding and structuring your story, and then looking at how to design your charts and maps, and finally exploring how data stories can be improved with iconography, illustration and photography.

Practical, hands-on exercises are a key part of this course. You will be encouraged to bring along your own data and presentations to work on, although sample material will also be provided. At the end of the course, you will have a finished, beautifully-designed deck of your own, plus a variety of editable templates that you can re-use for any future projects.

Course Content

An introduction to the principles of data visualisation
Using copy in PowerPoint
Structuring a story across a deck
PowerPoint as a design tool
An understanding of the PowerPoint charting library
Creating non-traditional charts in PowerPoint
How to use iconography, illustration and photography
Supporting tools and further reading

This course is for ...

Anyone who wants to learn how to use PowerPoint to tell clearer, more engaging data stories

Please be aware that although you do not need any specific technical expertise to participate in this course, your learning experience will be richer if you have a basic understanding of Excel and PowerPoint’s core functionality.

Week 1: The basics

PowerPoint as a storytelling tool - dividing your story between words, visuals and on-screen text
A tour of PowerPoint’s key design functionality: selecting, ordering, grouping, positioning.
A tour of PowerPoint’s charting functionality
Setting up PowerPoint templates and why they’re important. Establishing palettes, fonts, layout types.

Week 2: Storytelling essentials

Storytelling principes, cognitive load, and wireframing
Charting principles - matching story type to chart type
Creating standard charts in Powerpoint
Colour use in charting

Week 3: Advanced data storytelling

Copywriting and editing
Reframing and repurposing decks for different audiences and use cases
Creating non-standard charts in PowerPoint

Week 4: Visual enhancements

Working with SVGs and external tools
Maps in PowerPoint
Photography, iconography and illustration
Builds and animation
Tips for testing and rehearsal

Tutor profiles

Adam Frost was formerly head of data visualisation at the Guardian’s digital agency. He is now content director at Add Two, an agency specialising in data visualisation. His work has appeared in the Guardian, the New Statesman, Buzzfeed and elsewhere. Adam has also produced infographics and interactives for a range of public and private sector clients, including the Department for Education, Google and Unilever.

Tobias Sturt was head of creative at the Guardian’s digital agency, and is now creative director of Add Two. He has been working in digital storytelling for almost two decades using all kinds of media, from web to TV, and games and infographics.

Communicating with Data Visualisation: A practical guide, written by Adam Frost, Tobias Sturt, Jim Kynvin and Sergio Gallardo is available to purchase in paperback. You can purchase a book and ticket for the combined price of £524.27 including P&P.

Course Details

Date: Four consecutive Tuesdays, from Tuesday 18 April – Tuesday 9 May 2023
Time: 2pm-5pm (BST)
Event capacity: 32

A catch up recording will be shared after the class and will be available for two weeks.

This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.

2pm BST | 3pm CEST | 6am PDT | 9am EDT

You will be sent a link to the webinar 24 hours and 30 minutes before the start time. Please email masterclasses@theguardian.com if you do not receive the access link.

We aim to make Guardian Masterclasses accessible to all. If you require any adjustments to enable your participation in this course, please get in touch with us at masterclasses@theguardian.com.

This event will be hosted on a third-party live streaming platform Zoom, please refer to their privacy policy and terms and conditions before purchasing a ticket to the class.

Once a purchase is complete we will not be able to refund you where you do not attend or if you cancel your event booking. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.

Data storytelling using PowerPoint: An intensive four-week course