How to Design an Editable Graphic Resources Slide

When you are building a master presentation template for your team or a client, providing a built-in library of visual assets is one of the most helpful things you can do. A "graphic resources" slide acts as a sticker book, allowing users to copy, paste, and customize professional elements without having to build them from scratch.

In this tutorial, we will break down how to design a comprehensive, highly organized resource slide just like the one in the example image. We will look at how to structure the layout, choose a cohesive color palette, and build custom infographics that presentation users will actually want to use.

Understanding the Slide Layout

The success of an asset slide relies entirely on its organization. If it looks cluttered, users will ignore it. This specific slide excels because it is highly structured and categorized.

The Visual Hierarchy

The layout is divided into two distinct horizontal zones:

• Top Zone (Instructional): Dedicated entirely to typography. It features a clear title and a paragraph explaining exactly how to use, resize, and recolor the assets below.
• Bottom Zone (The Asset Library): A dense but highly organized grid containing all the visual elements, neatly categorized by type.

The Three-Column Grid

Notice how the graphic elements in the bottom zone are mentally divided into three distinct columns. This prevents visual chaos:

• Left Column: Text boxes, ribbons, and banner shapes.
• Center Column: Circular diagrams, pie charts, and cycle infographics.
• Right Column: A massive collection of varied directional arrows.

Setting Up the Background and Color Palette

A great resource slide needs a background that allows the elements to pop, while strictly adhering to a defined corporate color palette.

Choosing a Professional Dark Background

This slide uses a deep, professional navy blue background. Dark backgrounds are excellent for asset slides because they reduce eye strain and make lighter elements stand out sharply. To recreate this, set your slide background to a solid dark blue (e.g., Hex #1A2B3C).

The Monochromatic Shape Palette

To ensure all these distinct shapes look like they belong to the same family, the designer restricted the color palette to monochromatic shades based on the background. You will need:

• Pure white for the highest contrast elements and text.
• A light, icy blue-grey for secondary shape fills.
• A medium slate grey for alternating infographic segments.
• A dark navy (slightly lighter than the background) for shadows and deep contrast elements.

Typography and Instructional Text

The text on this slide is not just a label; it acts as a user manual.

Crafting the Title

The title, "Use our editable graphic resources...", is centrally aligned at the top. Use a clean, modern sans-serif font like Arial, Roboto, or Helvetica. Set it in pure white at a relatively large font size (around 28pt to 32pt) so it is instantly readable.

Writing Helpful Subtitles

Below the title is a crucial block of text. It reads: "You can easily resize these resources without losing quality. To change the color, just ungroup the resource and click on the object you want to change. Then, click on the paint bucket and select the color you want..."

This is brilliant presentation UX (User Experience). Place your instructional text in a standard, legible size (12pt to 14pt) using a light grey color. This creates a clear typographical hierarchy between the header and the body text.

Recreating the Graphic Elements

Now for the fun part: building the actual vector resources using standard presentation software shapes.

Section 1: Text Banners and Ribbons

The left side features structural elements for text.

• Standard Ribbons: Combine a standard rectangle with a chevron shape (an arrow with a V-shaped back). Align them so the chevron points outward, creating a ribbon edge.
• Bulleted Banners: Place a small circle on the left edge of a rounded rectangle. Group them together to create a custom callout box.
• Speech Bubbles: Most presentation software includes a standard "Speech Bubble" or "Callout" shape. Adjust the yellow handle to change the pointer's direction.

Section 2: Circular Diagrams and Charts

The center column is visually striking and packed with data visualization placeholders.

• Donut Charts: Use the standard "Donut" or "Hollow Circle" shape. Overlay a "Block Arc" shape on top of it. Adjust the arc handles to represent different percentages, and color them in your alternating grey and white palette.
• Cycle Diagrams: Use curved block arrows placed in a circle. In PowerPoint or Google Slides, you can manually rotate three or four curved arrows to form a continuous loop.
• Concentric Circles: Draw a perfect circle (hold Shift while drawing), remove the fill, and add a thick white outline. Duplicate it, scale it down slightly, and repeat to create a target or radar effect.

Section 3: Directional Arrows

The right column provides utility shapes.

• Line Arrows: Draw simple lines and change the end-cap style to an arrow in your stroke settings.
• Block Arrows: Use standard block arrows, chevron shapes, and pentagons to create thicker directional cues.
• Dotted Arrows: Change the outline style of your line arrows to "dashed" or "dotted" to provide alternative visual styles for your users.

Best Practices for Usability

Designing the shapes is only half the battle. They must function well for the end user.

Grouping Elements Properly

If a user wants to copy a complex cycle diagram, they shouldn't have to select eight different individual arcs and text boxes. Highlight all components of a single infographic and group them together (Ctrl+G or Cmd+G). Do this for every single asset on the slide.

Consistent Sizing and Alignment

Use your software's alignment tools extensively. Select all the elements in the left column and align them to the left. Select all elements in a row and distribute them horizontally. Consistent spacing makes the slide look highly professional and intentional.

Final Design Polish

Building an editable graphic resources slide takes patience, but it pays off by ensuring brand consistency across hundreds of future presentations. By organizing elements logically, using a strict monochromatic palette against a dark background, and grouping standard shapes into complex infographics, you provide your team with a powerful, easy-to-use toolkit.