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# Google Slides: Building Blocks = Presentation Lego Pieces
- URL: https://www.jeffsu.org/newsletter-209/
- Published: 2025-06-26T13:00:37.000Z
- Updated: 2025-06-26T13:00:37.000Z
- Description: #209
- Author: Jeff
- Tags: #newsletter, Google Slides

Hey friends,

I think someone from Google Workspace watched [my latest video on how to create effective presentations using Gamma](https://youtu.be/mi2vCsP1oKY?ref=jeffsu.org) because they hit back with a pretty incredible feature: **Building blocks** for Google Slides.

But first, let's take a step back and go through what it takes to build a slide the "traditional" way:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2025/06/CleanShot-2025-06-26-at-11.14.30@2x.png)

Take a look at the screenshot above. Creating this simple bar chart the traditional way required multiple steps:

1. **Input values** for each season within Google Sheets
2. **Create a bar chart** based on those values
3. **Copy and paste** the bar chart into Google Slides

Now, here's where things get interesting.

## What Building Blocks Actually Does

Building blocks is Google's answer to the "formatting friction" that slows down presentation creation. Basically **pre-built Lego pieces** for our slides.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2025/06/CleanShot-2025-06-26-at-11.16.30.gif)

With Building blocks, I can insert a beautiful-looking bar chart directly via the sidebar and start inputting numbers immediately.

## The Reality Check: What It Can't Do (Yet)

Does this feature completely replace the manual work from the original example?

**Nope.**

Here's what you'll still need to work around:

- **Static sizing**: The bars don't dynamically resize based on your input values (so that 250 vs 50 difference won't show visually)
- **Limited chart complexity**: You can't easily add secondary axes or additional data series (i.e. you can’t easily add year-on-year growth percentages)
- **Manual styling**: You'll still need to manually adjust color schemes and formatting for individual elements

That said, this feature excels at eliminating what I call "formatting friction" - those small, repetitive tasks that are annoying as f\*\*\*. Adding elements like lists, stats, and quotes becomes significantly faster.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2025/06/CleanShot-2025-06-26-at-11.18.11@2x.png)

## The New Google Slides Workflow: Following the AI Trail

It’s pretty clear to me that Google Slides is following in the footsteps of AI-augmented presentation tools by making each step of slide creation as frictionless as possible.

0:00 

/0:20 

1× 

Looking at the Building blocks sidebar, the "ideal" workflow Google envisions looks like this:

### Step 1: Start Smart

Select a pre-populated **Template** instead of staring at a blank slide

### Step 2: Build Fast

Use **Building blocks** to add pre-built elements without the usual formatting headaches

### Step 3: Enhance Visually

Easily add images from **the web or Google Drive** as needed, all from the same sidebar

This represents a fundamental shift from the traditional "build everything from scratch" approach to a more modular, component-based system. You're essentially assembling presentations rather than creating them pixel by pixel.

## My Wishlist: Where Google Should Go Next

Based on my experience testing this feature, here are three improvements that would make Building blocks genuinely game-changing:

### 1\. Custom Template Saving

Let us add our own templates to the "Template" menu. If I've spent time perfecting a company presentation format, I should be able to save and reuse it easily.

### 2\. Personal Building Block Library

Allow us to save and access custom elements we've created in the Building blocks menu.

### 3\. Contextual Image Recommendations

Implement AI-powered image suggestions that are contextually relevant to the slide content. If I'm working on a slide about quarterly growth, show me charts and business imagery, not random stock photos of people shaking hands.

---

Whenever you're ready, here are some other ways I can help you:

**✅** [**Build Your Command Center in Notion:**](https://www.pressplay.cc/link/s/064F24D8?ref=jeffsu.org) Create a single-dashboard system that took me 5 years to perfect and finally organize everything in one place.

**💻** [**The Workspace Academy:**](https://academy.jeffsu.org/workspace-academy?utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=footer) Learn the workflow I taught to over 10,000 Googlers. Made for busy professionals using Google Workspace.