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Sway - Create an interactive panel Replay

In this video, you will learn how to create an interactive panel using Sway.
The video covers the steps and techniques to create an engaging and interactive panel using Microsoft 365. This will help you enhance your presentations and create visually appealing content.

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00:00:22

Before starting I would like to give you some information about this presentation. So this presentation will be recorded and made available on the MOOC Office 365 platform.

00:00:34

Also in order to have a clear sound your microphones are turned off, so please if you have any questions feel free to ask in the chat. I will take a few minutes at the end of the presentation to answer all your questions.

00:00:50

Let's see the plan of this presentation. About the plan, we will explain in 2 minutes what Sway is. Then we will start our first Sway from the web app. We will see that we can start from a blank Sway or document, a template or even a topic suggested by Sway.

00:01:11

So I will show you all the options available to start your new Sway. After that, we will format it and, once finished, we will share it with our colleagues. So my first question is: What is Sway? What can we do with Sway? I'm going to try to give you a small introduction about it.

00:01:32

Sway is a new app from Microsoft Office that makes it easy to create and share interactive reports, personal stories, presentations and more. You will start by adding your own texts and pictures, search for an import relevant content from other sources and then you have to watch Sway do the rest. You will see it's very easy.

00:01:53

You're no longer limited to picking a pre-designed template that makes your presentation looks like everyone else's and you don't have to have any design skills to transform and broadcast information in a modern and interactive way. There's no need either to spend lots of time on formatting.

00:02:14

Its building design engine takes care of making your creation look its best. If the initial design doesn't quite match your test, you can easily apply another one or fully customize your layouts to make it your own. So you will see there are many options for customization.

00:02:34

Once you are done creating your Sway, it's super easy to share it. Your colleagues and partners can see your creations on the Web, signing in or without signing up. , you can change the privacy settings for any Sway whenever you want for more control over what you will share.

00:02:55

I would like also to give you another information before starting to create our first Sway. It's good to know that Sway is free to use for anyone with a Microsoft account but you can create more sophisticated Sways with more content when you use Sway as part of an Office 365 subscription. So to let you know,

00:03:16

you will get more content and you will be able to get more sophisticated Sways. I won't go further about the plan. I will go directly to the application. So let's discover Sway. The first thing you need to know if you want to access Sway,

00:03:37

you need to log in on your Office 365 portal and then you will find the Sway tile in the middle. If you can't find it here, I invite you to click on the Web app launcher on the left corner and then you will find the Sway tile right here.

00:03:55

Let's discover now Sway. You will see in few seconds from the main page I can see all my existing Sways. You can see them in the middle of my page. I will explain to you in details aach tab during this presentation, but to let you know from the Analytics tab,

00:04:16

right here, you can also have statistics on the consultation of my Sways. I can see all the people who saw my Sways and I have some statistics about it. to show you that really quickly, the Deleted tab allows you to restore a Sway that you deleted you have 30 days

00:04:37

to restore a Sway. After that, it's not possible anymore. So remember that if you make a mistake, you delete your Sway, it's OK, you can still restore it from this tab. Let's come back to the first tab. I would like to explain to you a few things about the way to start your Sway.

00:04:57

If you want to start your Sway there are many options. You can start from a blank page: there is a button here Create New. Let me show you that. If we do that, we will have to build our Sway from the beginning. We will have to add everything: pictures, text, we will have to format it, we will have to choose a style,

00:05:18

we will have to do everything from the beginning. So this is the first option available. We will do that in a few minutes. I want to show you the other options before. What you can do also, you can start from a template. It could be good if you have no idea about how to start your Sway.

00:05:39

You have to choose one from that list and then, let me show you that, you can consult the Sway already existing.

00:05:48

If like this one, if you like this template, if you want to use it to create your first Sway click on the button Start editing this Sway. Let me show you that, this will be really easy. I have to edit my card and I will also be able to add pictures and cards.

00:06:09

This is a good way to start your first Sway if you have no idea how to start.

00:06:19

There is also something really useful if you have no idea how to start. You can do it from a topic: there is a button on top Start from a topic and I'm going to give you an example. If I click on it, I will choose a topic, for example dinosaur.

00:06:37

And then I will click on Create outline.

00:06:45

So this is really good to have a solid starting point and then I will be able to continue building the rest of my Sway. As you can see it is still loading. In a few moment, I will see there is there is a lot of information on it, a lot of content. We can see that there is some text, some pictures, etc.

00:07:07

For your information, we are still on the edit mode, it means this is not what your Sway will look like when someone plays it. I will show you in a few moments from the Play button how it looks, .

00:07:26

The last option, we can do, let me show you that: we can start from a document. If for example you already have a PowerPoint document that you want to use to create a presentation, you can do that from this button Start from a document. I'm going to show you that: I will find a document from my computer.

00:07:47

I will load it and then Sway will try to build my Sway with the document I selected. I will have a lot of things to change, but at least I will have a lot of content. I will need to format everything. This is according to the document I loaded.

00:08:08

Then I can customize everything on it.

00:08:11

Just remember that there are 4 options to start your Sway. You can start from a new blank Sway, from a topic, from a template or from a document. Let's start our first way from a new blank page.

00:08:32

So I will use the first button Create New.

00:08:41

We are by default on the Storyline tab. There are two tabs: Design and Storyline. Let me explain to you the first tab Storyline. The storyline is where you type insert, edit and format the content that tells your story.

00:09:02

Content is arranged in sequential order by adding cards containing the type of content you want, such as text, images, videos and even Ofice documents. The order of cards can be rearranged at anytime to switch your needs.

00:09:22

We can start by giving a name to our Sway and choosing an image. So I click on Title your Sway shown in the first card on the storyline.

00:09:37

So we have to choose a title. Type a short but meaningful description of what your Sway is about. When you later share your finished Sway, this title will be the first thing others will see, so it is really important to choose a meaningful description.

00:09:57

Now let's add a photo. I can add a photo by clicking on the background button but you can also use the drag and drop in Sway. So we could drag a picture and it should also work. When I click on this button, I can load a picture from my device,

00:10:18

from my computer, from my OneDrive, but also from the web. If I have no pictures about dinosaurs, for example, I will type Dinosaur

00:10:29

in the Search field and I should be able to load any photo from the web for example, this one. I'm going to add this picture. About pictures, I have a few things to explain to you. Whenever you add pictures, Sway tries to identify thins like faces,

00:10:50

horizons and other strong lines. Sway then considers all of these elements work together and where the picture is being used. You have to understand that. How much of the inserted image will be shown and which parts may be cropped further depends on the constraints of your current devices as well as

00:11:11

the applied layout and style. So I'm going to give you a trick about it. You can easily mark the most important parts of an inserted picture to make sure that those parts are always shown in your Sway. Do the following: click on the Focus Points button.

00:11:32

If you want to add focus points to the part of the picture you always want shown in your Sway, click on these areas in the selected picture.

00:11:42

You can add as many focus points as you want. To change any existing focus points, drag it to the new location you want. We can change the location when we drag it. To delete it click again on it and that's it.

00:12:03

If you want to always show the entire picture in your Sway, select this box The entire image is important. If you want to reset the picture to its original state, click on the Reset button.

00:12:18

In my example, I would like to see the entire image. So I tick the box The entire image is important. I can close this window.

00:12:31

If we want to add more content to a Sway, such as text, images or videos, we need to click on the tab or tap the plus icon at the bottom of any existing card. As I said, we can also use the drag and drop if we want to drag and drop any text or image.

00:12:52

Don't hesitate to experiment: you can change the order of your content at anytime and customize each card the way you want.

00:13:02

As you can see, there are many options on it. For example, if we added a card with text, we can use the formatting toolbar. I just need to write something on it, and then if I need I can use the formatting toolbar on top.

00:13:25

If you want to insert more content and you don't find everything you want from the plus button, there is also the possibility to use the Insert button from the ribbon Insert content in your Sway.

00:13:48

Select your preferred content source from the menu. As you can see, we can select videos for example, and then we will type the name of the video we are looking for in the Search field. My theme is a dinosaur so I will stay on with dinosaurs and I will add for example, a short video.

00:14:09

This one, for example. I will validate by clicking on the Add button.

00:14:16

As you can see, there are many possibilities, we can add many contents. I could keep going on like that for 30 minutes, but this is not the point of this presentation. Now we have the basics to start your first Sway. You understood that we can start from a new page, from a document

00:14:37

from a template or from a suggested topic, and then from any Sway, from the storyline tab, you can customize the content of any card and you can add several cards by clicking on the plus icon.

00:14:52

I just repeat that, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the chat. I will have a look at the end of the presentation and I will take a few minutes to answer your questions.

00:15:05

Now let's see how we can change the style of our Sway. We said before Sway takes care of the formatting, design and layout of your content. You can keep it or you can select and apply your own and even customize layouts if you need it.

00:15:25

To choose a style for your Sway, we need to switch to the Design tab. I will click on style from the ribbon on the right side column.

00:15:40

If you want to control how others will view and navigate your Sway once you have shared it, select whether your content should scroll vertically, horizontally or appear like a presentation. So there are 3 options here.

00:15:57

Just to show you the differences: horizontal,

00:16:04

vertical,

00:16:07

and if you prefer like a presentation, like slides.

00:16:13

There is also another trick I would like to give you, this is not an obligation to use it. But if you have no idea about the style you want for your Sway, you can also use the Remix! button on top

00:16:34

to choose a random look. If you click on it,

00:16:41

I'll see another kind of styles I can apply if I need it. If I keep clicking on it, I will see different styles. If you have no idea click on the Remix! button, this is really helpful.

00:16:55

You can also adjust specific parts of the currently applied style, such as the colour, the font and the textures by clicking on the Customize button. Click on it and you can change the colors,

00:17:16

the font, we can change many things from that tab. Just remember that, w can go further: for example, you can also change the text size. For example, I would like to have a bigger text. In the example the text is bigger.

00:17:37

I can make it smaller. So remember that, you can go really far with the styles and the customization of your Sway.

00:17:45

Now we created and customized our Sway, we are ready to share it. But before I would like to have an overview, a preview of my Sway. You can do it from any tab, from the Design tab and also from the Storyline tab. There is a Play button on top.

00:18:06

If you click on it, you will see how your Sway looks.

00:18:11

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00:18:14

If you need to edit it, there is a button on top. You can also share it from here or you can click on the 3 dots to duplicate this Sway or save it as a template. It could be great, if you created an amazing Sway you can save it and you will be able to use it for another Sway or you can also share it with someone else.

00:18:35

You can share a Sway for co-edition but also for consultation and your coworkers could use it to create their own Sways if they need it .

00:18:49

Now we are ready to share it. I click on the Share button on top and I would like to explain this window to you. In your Sway, there are 3 available permission levels: specific people or groups, those in your organization with the link and

00:19:10

anyone with the link. By default, those in your organization with the link security settings is preselected for you. No one will be able to find your Sway unless you send them the link. But these different permission levels can make the Sway even more secure is it contains sensitive information.

00:19:31

Let me give you more details about the 3 options. Specific people or groups, the first one: Only people or groups within your organization for who you explicitly granted permission will be able to view or edit your Sway. When you send a view or edit link to

00:19:51

specific people, they will be required to sign in so they can see your Sway. This is the most secure setting so use this option for sensitive or confidential information that you don't want to share publicly.

00:20:06

The second one, those in your organization with the link: Only people at your work will be able to view or edit your Sway and they also need to sign in to be able to see it. Be sure to use this option for sensitive or confidential information that

00:20:27

only people in organization should see. Because, be careful, if we are working in the same company, if I share a Sway with Mark, he can forward my link to Leah and Leah is also working in my company so she will be able to see my Sway. This is not possible with the first possibility Specific people or groups.

00:20:48

This is the big difference. Be careful, the coworker with whom you share your Sway can forward the link to someone else in the company and this other person will be able to see your Sway, so be careful. Finally if you choose Anyone with a link, only people who have been given

00:21:09

the link to your Sway will be able to view or edit it. Be careful, this is the same thing: this link can be forwarded to someone else, even someone external to a company. This is not secured like the first one. Remember these few options.

00:21:30

Then we also have to decide if our colleague can only view my Sway or if they can also edit it. There are two buttons: Invite people to view it or to edit it. View it like only consultation, they can't modify anything on it. Edit it, they will be able to build your Sway,

00:21:50

to delete some cards you already added, etc. Once you are ready, you can get your visual link and share it with who you want. There is a button Get visual link. Click on it and then click on the Copy button. You can then pass this link into a Skype conversation,

00:22:11

an email, whatever you want.

00:22:17

I made an overview of all these possibilities. I would like to make a small conclusion before answering to your questions. To conclude this presentation, remember Sway allows you to create your professional looking,

00:22:38

interactive presentations, newsletters, tutorials and you don't have to have any design skills to transform and broadcast your Sway.

00:22:48

Sway works in all modern mobile browsers, regardless of platform, and is always just a tap away. You can also download freely the Sway mobile app to use it even on the go. You will find it in any market, iPhone, Android, etc.

00:23:09

I will have a look at your questions and I will try to give you an answer. Thank you everyone for your presence and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the chat.

00:23:26

Laurence, I saw your questions. Yes, you can start from any PPT or Word documents. With Publisher, it's not allowed yet. But as I said, It's a new application. You can give your feedbacks, if there are many people who want that I'm pretty sure they will make an update to add this possibility.

00:23:47

For now, you can start from a PowerPoint or Word document.

00:23:54

I'm going to come back on the first page, Start from a document and as I said, I can use any Excel document. I made it with the PowerPoint documents but I can do it with a Word document.

00:24:11

Yes, Laurence, even if you shared your Sway with someone else and for example, you picked only for specific people, you can switch to another permission level whenever you want according to your needs. You can change that, there is no problem at all.

00:24:32

From the main page, I would like to show you something quickly. I guess my coworkers stopped the sharing. I had one Sway shared on my screen here and I could see that there is an icon to see how many people saw this Sway.

00:24:53

If it's my own Sway, I will be able to enter it and to change any sharing options, but don't worry Laurence, it's possible.

00:25:04

If you need to watch another tutorial video, to go further about it I invite you to consult the MOOC Office 365 platform and also from the application, there is a button Tutorials: You can watch videos about Sway. If you want to go further or if you forgot some stuff about this presentation.

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