Which SmartArt graphic should I use?

Back to school means back to writing papers and reports. But how do you make your research and your ideas stand out?

SmartArt graphics give you a more visual way to present your information. You can even add pictures to SmartArt graphics. But which SmartArt graphic will fit your information and make your report look its smartest?

SmartArt graphic categories

If you're presenting a list of items--for example, the food groups--choose a SmartArt graphic from the List category.

But if you want to show a series of steps or a timeline, choose a Process SmartArt graphic. For example, a graphic to show the path from sunlight to freshly baked bread could look like this:

If the process is continual, use a Cycle SmartArt graphic.

If you want to display an organization, use a SmartArt graphic from the Hierarchy category. (I was going to make a picture of a food web, but it seemed like overkill--and sorry for that pun.)

To show how different elements connect with or impact each other, choose a Relationship SmartArt graphic.

Or To show how different parts of an idea contribute to the whole idea, use a Matrix SmartArt graphic.

And to show a proportional relationship of parts to a whole, use a Pyramid SmartArt graphic. Remember the Food Pyramid?

The chart style you choose does affect how readers will understand the data--so much so that the USDA switched from the Food Pyramid to the new MyPlate.

A few more things to think about

SmartArt graphics make your ideas stickier, more memorable, by pairing visual elements and words. But it's important not to use too many words.

List the key elements of your idea to catch and hold a reader's attention, and then you can explain all the fine points in the next paragraphs.

There's more: Check out the 10 new SmartArt graphics, and visit Office.com for information about SmartArt graphics. For more help with getting back to school, visit the Office in Education blog.

 -- Joannie Stangeland