No design ideas in PPT 2019-2021, alternative: use PPT online

Design ideas is a function that is only available for 365 subscribers. In standalone versions of PPT 2019-2021 you will not find it. There is an alternative though, you can find design ideas in the online version of PPT.

You can use design ideas in a presentation in Office online then download it to your desktop computer and use it.

Every month you are allowed to use Design ideas for free three times.

I've used screenshots in the Dutch version of PPT for the web, I have not got acces to an English version, sorry for that.

Go to your OneDrive account and select PPT in the apps.

Start a new blank presentation or choose one of the themes.

If it is the first time you use design ideas click on the option Try it now in the Design task pane. The next time the question will no longer be asked.

Choose one of the designs in the taskpane.

The design is added to your slide.

Add a new slide(s), below you can see a Section header.

Save on OneDrive and download to your desktop.

Add as many slides as you want and save the presentation in OneDrive. Click ... Save as. Or click in the ribbon Saved in One Drive and type the name of your file en choose the location.

Download your presentation to your desktop computer. 

Download a copy to your desktop

You can also choose Download copy. Click the Download button, choose the folder on your desktop and save it.

Open your presentation in PPT. A dafety warning message may appear as the presentation is coming from the internet, click en dus in de beveiligde weergave is geopend. Klik op de knop Enable editing. 

Click on Edit button to open on your desktop

Click the Edit button. Click Open in desktop app

Click on the Open PowerPoint button

Now save the presentation on your desktop app.

If your slides are already made you can upload your desktop presentation to OneDrive and take it from there.

To create your presentation design you can also insert one or more pictures on your slide. Designer will adapt the design using your photos. If you choose the stockpictures option you will notice that you will have to purchase almost all of the pictures. Some are free, you will recognise them because there is no icon in the left hand corner of the thumbnail. Below I have chosen one of those pictures, see the red square.

So generally you will have to choose from the pictures that Microsoft's browser Bing offers.

If you already used three design ideas you will have to wait to the following month and start over.