How to edit the design of a Sway

One of the great aspects of creating with Microsoft Sway is the fact you don’t need to spend a huge amount of time trying to style the presentation. Sway has a built-in design gallery which lets you switch between different styles until you find the one you like. These styles provide a consistent look and feel, ensuring that all elements, from text to images, blend together seemlessly.

You can choose a style that matches the tone and purpose of your Sway, whether it’s professional, casual, or artistic. Built-in layout options determine how content is arranged on the page. You can select from different layouts such as vertical scrolling, horizontal scrolling, or slides. Each layout option is suited for different types of content delivery. For instance, vertical scrolling is great for linear storytelling, while slides are perfect for presentations.

Sway allows you to customise the way in which users will navigate through your Sway. Options include enabling viewers to navigate through sections or jump to specific points. This flexibility is particularly useful for lengthy Sways, making it easier for viewers to find and focus on specific parts.

To apply a Design to Sway:

1. Open your preferred web browser.
2. Enter the address https://sway.office.com and hit Enter.
3. Click the link to Sign in using your Microsoft 365 account.
4. The Sway start screen will be displayed.
5. Open an existing Sway, or create one from scratch.
6. From the Storyline view, click the Design tab:

7. Now click the Styles button located on the right-hand side of the screen:

8. From here you can edit various parts of your Sway design. Easily change if you prefer your Sway to scroll vertically, horizontally or as slides:

9. You can also see the different styles available:

10. Each row displays a core style set with variations such as fonts and colours.
11. Click and choose different styles to see how they will affect the look of your Sway.
12. If you are feeling adventurous, click the Remix button and Sway will pick a style combination for you and display your Sway using the selected style:

13. Keep clicking the Remix button until you see a style you like for your Sway.
14. Click the X to close the Styles pane when you have finished.
15. Click back on the Storyline tab to return and continue editing your Sway.

Preview your Sway

As you continue to develop your Sway, you will want to see the progress and how each card will ultimately look in the finished Sway. You can choose to Play your Sway at any time to view the cards in full screen mode and as they will look in your completed Sway.

1. Click the Play button in the top right corner of the screen:

2. The Sway will be displayed in full screen view.
3. To cancel the preview, press Esc on the keyboard or click the Edit button.

I hope this helps to explore the Design options available in Microsoft Sway. Comment below with any questions.