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Microsoft Designer Not Working? Fix It in 6 Easy Steps
Explore the expert recommended methods to fix the issue
5 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
If the Designer option on Microsoft Powerpoint doesn’t work, then this guide can help! We will discuss some of the easiest methods to get rid of this problem right after talking about the causes. Let’s get started!
What causes the Microsoft Designer not working issue?
There could be various reasons why you face this issue; some of the common ones are mentioned here:
What can I do to fix the Microsoft Designer not working issue?
Before engaging in advanced troubleshooting steps, you should consider performing the following checks:
1. Check if someone else is editing
If you are co-authoring the presentation with someone else and more than one person is working on a single slide at one time, the Designer would not give you Design Ideas on that slide.
Wait for them to finish, and make sure you are the only person editing the slide. Then, you will see design options on the slide when you add an image, table, or chart to the slide.
2. Enable the Automatically show me design ideas option
3. Don’t use slides with pictures or process-based slide
You should only use the default layouts, including Title, Title + Content slide, Section Header, Title Only, Two Content, and Picture with Caption, to avoid any issues. Don’t use additional photos, shapes, or objects on a single slide as an image. Also, make sure the images added to the slide are not more than 6 and are larger than 200*200 pixels in size.
Designer can’t show you design ideas if a shape or text box is added to the slide. Make sure you don’t do any of these if trying to get design suggestions.
4. Enable Office connected experiences
5. PowerPoint Designer’s 10-6-1-1-1 Content Rule
Design Ideas feature is a relatively new feature and can only generate slide layout ideas for some PowerPoint objects, and that too in fixed numbers.
For example, you can only add 10 or 6 images (depending on the size), 1 table, 6 icons, 1 SmartArt graphic, or 1 chart on a single slide.
Also, you can’t mix and match these shapes or objects and should not use large-size images on the slide.
6. Reinstall Office
So, these are the methods that you need to follow to fix the Microsoft Designer not working issue. If you have any questions about the design ideas on PowerPoint, feel free to mention them in the comments section below. We will be happy to help!
More about the topics:Microsoft 365,PowerPoint
Srishti Sisodia
Windows Software Expert
Srishti Sisodia is an electronics engineer and writer with a passion for technology. She has extensive experience exploring the latest technological advancements and sharing her insights through informative blogs.
Her diverse interests bring a unique perspective to her work, and she approaches everything with commitment, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn. That’s why she’s part of Windows Report’s Reviewers team, always willing to share the real-life experience with any software or hardware product. She’s also specialized in Azure, cloud computing, and AI.
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Srishti Sisodia
Windows Software Expert
She is an electronics engineer and writer with a passion for technology. Srishti is specialized in Azure, cloud computing, and AI.
