1 Slide, 5 Ways: Arrow Cycle

When you don’t know where to take your presentation, Smart Slide templates are a great starting point. The customizable templates use guardrails to protect the design as you add in your content, and can help you reimagine your story. While there are intentional limitations to maintain design integrity, there are so many different ways to customize each layout beyond the default settings.

In this series, we’re highlighting your favorite slide templates, and challenging you to try something new. For each Smart Slide, we’ll showcase different ways to style and format it to help inspire a new way to tell your story. 

Arrow cycle slide

Simplify process mapping for better team alignment. An arrow cycle presentation slide template can be used to illustrate processes that repeat over time like the cycle of product development— from ideation to launch. It’s also a great tool for demonstrating how various components of a business interconnect, such as input, production, consumption, and feedback loops.

You might use an arrow cycle template to showcase a business model at a bird’s-eye view, display a complex process in a clear, visual way or align on processes for more successful execution.

Arrow cycle design tips

An arrow cycle is fairly simple by design, but here are five ways you can change the layout of your slide for clearer delivery and bigger impact. 

Add a bottom tray for extra context

An arrow cycle diagram is not a text-heavy slide by nature. And while the beauty is in the simplicity of the design, some cycles may warrant extra copy to provide additional context to the audience. Instead of distracting from the arrow cycle, you can add a bottom tray for annotations or to call out important information.   

Create more dimension with a gradient background

An infographic slide— like an arrow cycle— can fall flat if you rely simply on the diagram. To keep your audience engaged, you can take more creative control of the slide background. To add some dimension to the slide, you might try a colored or gradient background. Just make sure you keep legibility in mind so your slide doesn’t go from boring to cluttered.

Change the arrow style

Your slides should reflect your style, and as such, many of our Smart Slide templates have different variations and styles that you can toggle between to find the right design for your story. In the arrow cycle diagram, you can choose between arrow styles, a puzzle fit, bumper or segments. The small change in design can be the difference between a slide that resonates with your audience, and one that bores them.  

Adjust the inner radius for more impact

The inner radius of the arrow cycle is where you can add a label to identify the topic or process you’re showcasing. In the slide settings, you can toggle the radius label on or off, and adjust the size of the radius. The bigger the radius, the slimmer the diagram—and vice versa. If you want to add a little something extra, you can drag a call-out into the radius and add an image or icon instead of text. 

Try a cycle slide instead

If the arrow cycle isn’t getting you exactly where you need the slide to be, you can try different variations of other slides. Our cycle Smart Slide template offers similar layouts ideal for processes that may allow you to customize in a way that makes more sense for your story. 

Toggling between different slides is a low-stakes way to visualize your content in new ways without having to start over from scratch.