Create an organization chart

If you want to illustrate the reporting relationships in your company or organization, you can create a SmartArt graphic that uses an organization chart layout, such as Organization Chart, or you can use Microsoft Office Visio to create an organization chart. If you have Office Visio, you can read more about when Visio is the best way to create your organization chart.In this article

Overview of creating an organization chart

Create an organization chart

Add a shape to your organization chart

Change the hanging layout of your organization chart

Change the colors of your organization chart

Apply a SmartArt Style to your organization chart

Overview of creating an organization chart

An organization chart graphically represents the management structure of an organization, such as department managers and nonmanagement employees within a company. By using a SmartArt graphic in Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft Office Outlook, Microsoft Office PowerPoint, or Microsoft Office Word, you can create an organization chart and include it in your worksheet, presentation, or document. To create an organization chart quickly and easily, you can type or paste text in your organization chart and then have the text automatically positioned and arranged for you.

When you add an assistant shape to an organization chart layout, such as Organization Chart, a bullet with a line attached indicates the assistant shape in the Text pane.

Although you can use other hierarchy layouts to create an organization chart, the assistant shape and the hanging layouts are available only with organization chart layouts.

To quickly add a designer-quality look and polish to your SmartArt graphic, you can change the colors or apply a SmartArt Style to your organization chart. You can also add effects, such as glows, soft edges, or 3-D effects. In Office PowerPoint presentations, you can animate your organization chart.

Create an organization chart

1. On the Insert tab, in the Illustrations group, click SmartArt.

   

2. In the Choose a SmartArt Graphic gallery, click Hierarchy, click an organization chart layout (such as Organization Chart), and then click OK.
3. To enter your text, do one of the following:
   • Click in a shape in the SmartArt graphic, and then type your text.

     Note For best results, use this option after you add all of the shapes that you want.

   • Click [Text] in the Text pane, and then type your text.
   • Copy text from another location or program, click [Text] in the Text pane, and then paste your text.

   • If the Text pane is not visible

     1. Click the SmartArt graphic.
     2. Under SmartArt Tools, on the Design tab, in the Create Graphic group, click Text Pane.

Add a shape to your organization chart

1. Click the SmartArt graphic that you want to add a shape to.
2. Click the existing shape that is located closest to where you want to add the new shape.
3. Under SmartArt Tools, on the Design tab, in the Create Graphic group, click the arrow under Add Shape, and then do one of the following:

   

   • To insert a shape at the same level as the selected shape but following it, click Add Shape After.
   • To insert a shape at the same level as the selected shape but before it, click Add Shape Before.
   • To insert a shape one level above the selected shape, click Add Shape Above.

     The new shape takes the position of the selected shape, and the selected shape and all of the shapes directly below it are each demoted one level.

   • To insert a shape one level below the selected shape, click Add Shape Below.

     The new shape is added after the other shapes at the same level.

   • To add an assistant shape, click Add Assistant.

     The assistant shape is added above the other shapes at the same level in the SmartArt graphic, but it is displayed in the Text pane after the other shapes at the same level.

     Add Assistant is available only for organization chart layouts. It is not available for hierarchy layouts, such as Hierarchy.

Notes:

• Although you cannot automatically connect two top-level shapes with a line in the organization chart layouts, such as Organization Chart, you can imitate this look by adding a shape to your SmartArt graphic and then drawing a line to connect the shapes.
• To show a dotted-line reporting relationship between two shapes, right-click the line, and then click Format Shape on the shortcut menu. Click Line Style, and then click the Dash type that you want.
• To add a shape from the Text pane, place your cursor at the beginning of the text where you want to add a shape. Type the text that you want in your new shape, press ENTER, and then to indent the new shape, press TAB, or to negative indent, press SHIFT+TAB.

  To add an assistant shape, press ENTER while an assistant shape is selected in the Text pane.

Change the hanging layout of your organization chart

A hanging layout affects the layout of all shapes below the selected shape.

1. Click the shape in the organization chart that you want to apply a hanging layout to.
2. Under SmartArt Tools, on the Design tab, in the Create Graphic group, click Layout, and then do one of the following:

   

   • To center all of the shapes below the selected shape, click Standard.

     

   • To center the selected shape above the shapes below it and arrange the shapes below it horizontally with two shapes in each row, click Both.

     

   • To arrange the selected shape to the right of the shapes below it and left-align the shapes below it vertically, click Left Hanging.

     

   • To arrange the selected shape to the left of the shapes below it and right-align the shapes below it vertically, click Right Hanging.

     

Change the colors of your organization chart

You can apply color combinations that are derived from the theme colors to the shapes in your SmartArt graphic.

1. Click the SmartArt graphic whose color you want to change.
2. Under SmartArt Tools, on the Design tab, in the SmartArt Styles group, click Change Colors.

   

3. Click the color combination that you want.

Tip When you place your pointer over a thumbnail, you can see how the colors affect your SmartArt graphic.

Apply a SmartArt Style to your organization chart

A SmartArt Style is a combination of various effects, such as line style, bevel, or 3-D, that you can apply to the shapes in your SmartArt graphic to create a unique and professionally designed look.

1. Click the SmartArt graphic whose SmartArt Style you want to change.
2. Under SmartArt Tools, on the Design tab, in the SmartArt Styles group, click the SmartArt Style that you want.

   To see more SmartArt Styles, click the More button .

Notes:

• When you place your pointer over a thumbnail, you can see how the SmartArt Style affects your SmartArt graphic.
• You can also customize your SmartArt graphic by moving shapes, resizing shapes, and adding a fill or effect.

See also:

• Apply or change a Quick Style for shapes
• Change the color of a shape, shape border, or entire SmartArt graphic
• Create a SmartArt graphic
• Overview of the Text pane used with SmartArt graphics