Chapter 3. Gallery of SmartArt Graphics for Lists

The List category of SmartArt graphics includes 16 styles. Lists can be arranged horizontally, vertically, or in a bending matrix of shapes.

As you browse the layouts in this chapter, consider that vertical lists are the best choice if you have long sentences to display. Because vertical lists need to fit only one box across the width of the diagram, they feature the widest boxes.

Certain styles were designed for lists with only Level 1 text. Other styles can handle small amounts of Level 2 text, whereas other styles are clearly designed for massive amounts of Level 2 text.

Bending and Picture Lists

The Bending list styles allow you to arrange the shapes in an N × N matrix. This allows for the creation of the most boxes in a smaller space. Although many other styles offer smaller images, the Picture list styles have the picture as the main element in the shape.

Figure 3.1 shows a variety of bending lists.

Figure 3.1 As you add more shapes to a bending list, they are arranged to most effectively fill the borders of the graphic.

Basic Block List

Basic Block List is designed to show nonsequential or grouped blocks of information. It is composed of identical-sized rectangles. The default shape contains five rectangles.

This style is well suited to Level 1 information, as shown in Figure 3.2. The type size gets fairly small with Level 2 text, as shown in Figure 3.3. If you need to use Level 2 text, consider using Bending Picture Accent List instead.

Figure 3.2 Basic Block List is suited to Level 1 text. Theme: Office, Style: Moderate Effect, Color: Colorful – Accent Colors.

Figure 3.3 Level 2 text crowds Basic Block List. Theme: Office, Style: Moderate Effect, Color: Colorful – Accent Colors.

Figuring the Number of Shapes per Row

Office uses a formula to determine the number of shapes per row.

• The square of 2 is 4. For any graphic with up to 4 shapes, the shapes are arranged in rows of 2 shapes each.
• The square of 3 is 9. For any graphic with 5 to 9 shapes, the shapes are arranged in rows of 3 shapes each.
• The square of 4 is 16. For any graphic with 10 to 16 shapes, the shapes are arranged in rows of 4 shapes each.

This logic continues: 16 × 16 is 256; 17 × 17 is 289. Any graphic with between 257 and 289 shapes is arranged in rows of 17 shapes, as shown in Figure 3.4.

Figure 3.4 As you add shapes, Office arranges them in an N × N arrangement. Theme: Office, Style: Moderate Effect, Color: Colorful – Accent Colors.

Bending Picture Accent List

Use Bending Picture Accent List to show nonsequential or grouped blocks of information. It is excellent for items with large blocks of Level 2 text. Each shape contains a small circle designed to contain a picture.

Specifying a Picture for a Shape

To specify a picture for a shape, follow these steps:

1. Click on a SmartArt graphic to put the graphic in edit mode.
2. Click on a picture.
3. Use the Insert Picture dialog box to browse for a picture.
4. Choose Insert.

You then repeat steps 2–4 for each additional shape.

Figure 3.5 shows Bending Picture Accent List with pictures added.

Figure 3.5 Bending Picture Accent List is ideal for large lists of Level 2 text. Theme: Office, Style: Intense Effect, Color: Colorful Range – Accent Colors 2 to 3.

After you add a picture to the shape, it is more difficult to change the picture. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the picture and choose Reset Shape.
2. Left-click on the picture icon.
3. Use the Insert Picture dialog box to browse for a picture.
4. Choose Insert.

Removing the Pictures from Bending Picture Accent List

If you have a lot of Level 2 text but don’t have pictures to display for each shape, you would want to remove the pictures from Bending Picture Accent List.

Removing the pictures from Bending Picture Accent List is slightly annoying. You must repeat the following steps for each shape in the picture:

1. Click on a SmartArt graphic to put the graphic in edit mode.
2. If you have not inserted a picture yet, a small square picture icon appears inside the circle. Right-click inside the circle, but not on the picture icon. This adds a selection box around the circle and displays a context menu.
3. Choose Format Shape from the context menu.
4. In the Fill category, choose No Fill.
5. In the Line category, choose No Line.
6. Click Close.

Figure 3.6 shows Bending Picture Accent List after you remove the pictures.

Figure 3.6 Hiding the pictures in Bending Picture Accent List allows you to use this graphic when you don’t have any pictures. Theme: Office, Style: 3-D White Outline, Color: Colorful Range – Accent Colors 3 to 4.

Tip

Chapter 9, “Adding New SmartArt Graphics Layouts,” discusses how to permanently remove the pictures from Bending Picture Accent List.

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Picture Caption List

Picture Caption List allows you to show nonsequential pictures. This graphic contains large landscape shapes for pictures, with room for a short caption under each picture. You should enter short captions as Level 1 text, as shown in Figure 3.7.

Figure 3.7 Picture Caption List works with pictures and short captions. Theme: Apex, Style: Metallic Scene, Color: N/A.

Picture Caption List does not work well with Level 2 text. In Figure 3.8, the text is too small to read.

Figure 3.8 Picture Caption List works with pictures and short captions. Theme: Apex, Style: 3-D Intense Effect, Color: Dark 1 Outline.

Caution

Images in Picture Caption List work best if they are landscape images. If you select a portrait image, it is squashed to fit into the SmartArt graphic. Microsoft is aware of this problem and plans to correct it in a future version of Office.

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Note

When a shape is selected in Picture Caption List, the Picture Tools, Format ribbon is available. You can use this ribbon to recolor or crop the image.

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Horizontal Picture List

Horizontal Picture List offers a balance between pictures and text. It is possible to have a fair number of readable Level 2 bullet points below each image in this style, as shown in Figure 3.9.

Figure 3.9 Horizontal Picture List includes text blocks to accommodate Level 1 and Level 2 text. Theme: Aspect, Style: White Outline, Color: Colorful Range – Accent Colors 2 to 3.

If you use Horizontal Picture List with only Level 1 text, the text serves as a caption below each picture. This is a more colorful presentation than Bending Picture Accent List.

Figure 3.10 shows Horizontal Picture List used with only Level 1 text.

Figure 3.10 When used with only Level 1 text, Horizontal Picture List emphasizes the pictures and provides color-enhanced captions. Theme: Aspect, Style: 3-D Moderate Effect, Color: Colorful – Accent Colors.

Horizontal Lists

Built-in SmartArt styles include six types of horizontal lists. The workhorse of the group is Horizontal Bullet List, with plenty of room for Level 2 text.

Picture Accent List and Continuous Picture List feature images. Table List is fairly specialized, offering a hierarchy of Level 2 items under a single Level 1 heading. Trapezoid List evokes feelings of a process, whereas Continuous Picture List features a unifying arrow that stretches across the shapes.

Horizontal Bullet List

When you have large blocks of Level 2 text, Horizontal Bullet List can accommodate the text. It features an accented block for a single line of Level 1 text and then a large block to accommodate body text for Level 2.

Although the blocks appear in a horizontal line, Microsoft says that direction is not implied in the graphic. This means that no arrow graphics show the flow of direction from left to right.

Figure 3.11 shows Horizontal Bullet List used with large blocks of body text.

Figure 3.11 Large blocks of Level 2 text work nicely in Horizontal Bullet List. Theme: Concourse, Style: Subtle Effect, Color: Colored Fill – Accent 1.

Picture Accent List

The focus in Picture Accent List is on Level 2 text. The Level 1 headlines are arranged vertically and are almost decorative instead of useful.

A small square image is added as an accent in the upper-left corner of each shape.

As shown in Figure 3.12, Picture Accent List works well with bulleted lists of Level 2 text.

Figure 3.12 Bulleted lists of Level 2 text are the focus in Picture Accent List. Theme: Paper, Style: Simple Fill, Color: Colored Fill – Accent 1.

With large amounts of Level 2 body text, the SmartArt graphic in Figure 3.13 was resized to fill almost the entire slide. A theme color creates an interesting effect where the SmartArt graphic appears as three columns that look as if they are part of the slide.

Figure 3.13 This graphic had to be enlarged to accommodate the Level 2 body text. Theme: Paper, Style: Intense Effect, Color: Dark 2 Fill.

Table List

Only a single Level 1 element can appear in Table List layouts. All the Level 2 items are given shapes that are grouped within the single Level 1 block.

This design lends itself to a single line of Level 2 text followed by multiple bullets of Level 3 text, as shown in Figure 3.14.

Figure 3.14 Table List can handle only a single element of Level 1 text. Theme: Opulent, Style: Inset, Color: Colored Outline – Accent 1.

Table List would be horrible with only Level 1 text. You would have a title at the top with a large expanse of nothing in the middle. The large expanse of nothing does encourage you to create high-tech name tags, as shown in Figure 3.15. Now, if you could just get people to pin the monitor to their chest pocket.

Figure 3.15 If you could get people to pin the monitor to their lapel, you will have found a new use for Table List. Theme: Opulent, Style: Inset, Color: Colored Outline – Accent 1. Uses a single line each of Level 1 and Level 2 text.

Trapezoid List

Trapezoid List is the first list style to indicate any sort of sequence to the shapes. The shapes appear as if a pyramid were turned on its side and then the base of the pyramid is repeated over and over.

Use Trapezoid List to show a progression or sequential steps in a task, process, or work flow. The odd shapes limit the amount of text that comfortably fits in those shapes.

In Figure 3.16, each shape holds three to four short bullet points of Level 2 text.

Figure 3.16 Trapezoid List has overtones of a left-to-right process. Theme: Paper, Style: White Outline, Color: Colorful Range – Accent Colors 4 to 5.

Continuous Picture List

A single arrow stretches across all the shapes of Continuous Picture List, indicating that the groups are interconnected.

Large circular images dominate the top third of each shape, leaving only minimal space for Level 1 and Level 2 text.

Figure 3.17 shows Continuous Picture List with a few Level 2 bullet points per shape.

Figure 3.17 The arrow binds together the shapes in Continuous Picture List. Theme: Opulent, Style: Inset, Color: Colored Fill – Accent 3.

Stacked List

The Stacked List layout emphasizes Level 2 text. Each entry of Level 2 text is given a separate box, and the boxes are stacked vertically.

The Level 1 text should be kept short, because it is placed in a circle at the top of each column.

Figure 3.18 shows a Stacked List diagram.

Figure 3.18 Level 2 text is emphasized in the Stacked List layout. Theme: Flow, Style: Powder, Color: Colored Range – Accent Colors 4 to 5.

Caution

This layout tends to extend horizontally beyond the edges of the bounding box. If you want to make sure that the entire graphic is visible, do not stretch the bounding box to the edges of the slide.

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Vertical Lists

The six vertical list SmartArt varieties are better for long sentences. By their nature, each shape takes up nearly the complete width of the SmartArt object container. This allows for longer sentences and bullet points in each item.

Vertical Picture Accent List and Vertical Picture List feature images on the left and as such don’t allow for as much text. Vertical Box List and Vertical Bullet List can accommodate vast amounts of Level 2 text.

Vertical Block List and Vertical Arrow List are decorative, showing Level 1 text on the left and Level 2 text on the right. These lists are not well suited to long Level 1 items.

Vertical Box List

For long sentence bullet points of Level 2 and Level 1 text, use Vertical Box List. The Level 1 text is shown in a rounded rectangle that spans 65% of the width of the SmartArt graphic.

Level 2 text is arranged below the Level 1 text box and is allowed to take up 80% of the width of the SmartArt image.

Additional Level 2 bullet points cause the rectangle surrounding Level 2 text to grow, allowing for extremely long lists of data.

Figure 3.19 shows a SmartArt graphic using Vertical Box List 1 style with 6 to 10 sentences per shape.

Figure 3.19 Vertical Box List handles large amounts of text without a problem. Theme: Verve, Style: 3-D Subtle Effect, Color: Colored Fill – Accent 2.

In Figure 3.20, the Excel zoom is set to 70%. The SmartArt image was extended and contains an entire page of a product catalog, along with several bullet points for each of four products.

Figure 3.20 An entire page of a product catalog is built using Vertical Box List. Theme: MrExcel (custom theme), Style: 3-D Subtle Effect, Color: Colorful Range – Accent Colors 2 to 3.

Note

A selling feature of Vertical Box List is that each shape does not have to be the same size. Notice in Figure 3.19 that the box for Level 2 text for Holy Macro! Its 2,500 Excel VBA Examples is smaller than the box for Excel Knowledge Base. This prevents unnecessary white space from the items with less text.

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Vertical Bullet List

Vertical Bullet List is similar to Vertical Box List.

The rectangles surrounding each block of Level 2 text are missing from Vertical Bullet List.

The blocks for Level 1 text span the entire width of the SmartArt graphic, allowing for extremely long Level 1 headings.

This style is good for long sentences of Level 1 and/or Level 2 text. Level 1 text can span nearly the entire width of the Smart Art graphic.

The space allocated to Level 2 for each shape is variable.

Figure 3.21 shows Vertical Bullet List.

Figure 3.21 Extremely long Level 1 headings can be accommodated with Vertical Bullet List. Theme: Metro, Style: Subtle Effect, Color: Colorful – Accent Colors.

Vertical Picture Accent List

Vertical Picture Accent List includes a round picture on the left side of each Level 1 item. Level 2 text is bulleted below the Level 1 text in a five-sided shape.

The limited size of the shape for the text makes this style ideal for graphics with only Level 1 text or Level 1 with just a few bullet points of Level 2 text. Figure 3.22 shows Vertical Picture Accent List with only Level 1 text.

Figure 3.22 The shapes in Vertical Picture Accent List make it ideal for diagrams with minimal text. Theme: Quiz Show (custom), Style: Brick Scene, Color: Colored Fill – Accent 1.

Figure 3.23 shows Vertical Picture Accent List with Level 1 and Level 2 text.

Figure 3.23 Vertical Picture Accent List can handle a few bullet points of Level 2 text. Beyond that, the text becomes too small to be readable. Theme: Quiz Show (custom), Style: Sunset Scene, Color: Colorful Range – Accent Colors 3 to 4.

Vertical Picture List

Vertical Picture List contains one rounded rectangle for each Level 1 element. The rectangle contains an image on the left 20% of the shape. Level 1 and Level 2 text stacks up in the right 80% of the shape. This shape is ideal for images with Level 1 text, as shown in Figure 3.24.

Figure 3.24 Vertical Picture List is ideal for images with Level 1 text. Here, Dark 2 Outline color uses black and white to match the retro photos. Theme: Urban, Style: Simple Fill, Color: Dark 2 Outline.

Vertical Picture List also accommodates a few bullet points of Level 2 text. In Figure 3.25, the overall size of the SmartArt image is enlarged to allow detail to show through.

Figure 3.25 Vertical Picture List can handle a few bullet points of Level 2 text. Theme: Equity, Style: White Outline, Color: Colorful Range – Accent Colors 2 to 3.

Vertical Block List

Vertical Block List has sufficient room for many lines of Level 2 text. The Level 1 text should be kept to a few words.

In Figure 3.26, each element has four to five sentences of Level 2 text. The shapes grow vertically to accommodate the extra bullet points. The Level 1 text is housed in a large element on the left that takes up 25% of the horizontal width.

Figure 3.26 Vertical Block List can handle more Level 2 text but is limited in the amount of Level 1 text. If you have short titles for Level 1, this style works. Theme: Oriel, Style: Cartoon, Color: Colorful Range – Accent Colors 3 to 4.

Vertical Arrow List

Each Level 1 element of Vertical Arrow List includes an arrow pointing to the right. This arrow holds the Level 2 text. The arrows serve as a unifying element indicating that each item in the list is moving toward a common goal.

The Level 1 rounded rectangles have enough room for short entries. Level 2 can hold a few bullet points.

Figure 3.27 shows an example of Vertical Arrow List.

Figure 3.27 The arrows in Vertical Arrow List indicate a common goal. Theme: Foundry, Style: Polished, Color: Transparent Gradient Range – Accent 1.

Next Steps

Most of the list diagrams in this chapter do not feature arrows or connectors to indicate an explicit flow to the diagram. The process charts in Chapter 4, “Gallery of Process Charts,” all feature arrows to indicate a flow from box to box.