Creating Beautiful PowerPoints

One topic that this class has inspired me to think more deeply about is how to create unique, colorful powerpoint presentations.  In searching for a good design template for my group's project in this class, i realized that it takes a great deal of time and effort to find colorful, unique slide designs that fit the content as well as appeal to the eye.  Many templates offered online need to be converted from a zip and somehow implanted into Microsoft PowerPoint.  I have absolutely no idea how to do this, thereby limiting my options for slide designs to what is available by browsing on Microsoft's website via the program itself.  I would like to obtain greater expertise in the use of Microsoft PowerPoint.  I know that my skills will improve over time as I use the program more and more.  However, it would be nice if I could gain the knowledge a little faster.  I tried to search for tutorials online, but could not find one that effectively explained how to compress the design templates offered by sites other than Microsoft from zip files to whatever type of file nesessary to make it usable in Microsoft PowerPoint.  I plan on asking around amongst my peers in the future-maybe one of them will have a greater understanding on how to do this and will be able to show me so that I may do it myself in the future.