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Pecha Kucha presentations explained

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Anete Ezera January 24, 2024

We’ve all experienced those lengthy presentations that are overflowing with details, yet they’re so cluttered that we hardly absorb any of the information. When it’s your turn to present, you’ll want a method that captures your audience’s attention and communicates your message clearly. This is where the Pecha Kucha technique comes into play. When you combine this with Prezi for your presentation design , you’re setting yourself up for a successful delivery.

What is a Pecha Kucha presentation? 

Many elements make a Pecha Kucha presentation different from conventional styles. Let’s look at what makes up a PechaKucha: 

• Basic concept: PechaKucha is a presentation style designed to be concise and fast-paced.
• Slide count: It uses exactly 20 slides.
• Timing: Each slide is displayed for 20 seconds.
• Total duration: This means your entire presentation will last 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
• Content approach: The idea is to make your points quickly and clearly. It’s more about the key ideas rather than lots of details.
• Purpose: The Pecha Kucha format helps to avoid long and complicated presentations. It keeps things simple and engaging.
• Common use: It’s popular in creative and professional settings. People often use it to share new ideas or projects.
• Audience engagement: With its quick pace, it tends to hold the audience’s attention better than traditional presentation styles.

In summary, a Pecha Kucha presentation is all about brevity and clarity. You get just enough time to make your point, but not so much that your audience loses interest. It’s a great way to present if you want to leave a lasting impression without overwhelming your listeners with too much information.

Where did this presentation style come from? 

The Pecha Kucha presentation style originated in Tokyo back in 2003, created by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham. They noticed a common problem at meetups where speakers, often overenthusiastic or poorly prepared, would go on for too long, causing the audience to lose interest. So, they came up with PechaKucha as a solution. 

This style was created to keep presentations short and clear. It lets speakers share their ideas or work in a time-efficient and engaging way. The PechaKucha became popular quickly, as it became known for helping make presentations easier to understand.

The name ‘PechaKucha’ translates to ‘chit-chat’. A great reflection of the formats designed for simple, fast-paced presentations, where each speaker shares their ideas in a brief, conversational manner. 

Growth in popularity

Since its start in 2003, Pecha Kucha presentations have really taken off. By 2019, it had spread to more than 1,142 cities, and over 3 million people had attended PechaKucha events . This shows just how well-received and adaptable this presentation style is across the globe, resonating with a wide range of audiences.

Who might use a Pecha Kucha presentation? 

Pecha Kucha presentations are quite versatile, so they’re used by a wide range of people and industries. Let’s look at a few examples:

• Educators and students: In schools and universities, teachers and students use Pecha Kucha for classroom presentations. It’s great for keeping lectures engaging and helping students learn to express their ideas concisely.
• Designers and architects: This is where Pecha Kucha presentations started. Design professionals use it to showcase their projects or concepts in a format that’s quick and visually driven, perfect for highlighting design elements.
• Business professionals: In the corporate world, from startups to large companies, Pecha Kucha helps in pitching ideas or presenting updates without dragging on. It’s effective for keeping meetings efficient and focused.
• Marketing teams: Marketing professionals use it to brainstorm and present campaign ideas. The format forces them to boil down their concepts to the essentials, which is key in marketing.
• Tech industry: In tech, where things change rapidly, Pecha Kucha allows professionals to share updates or innovations in a fast-paced, digestible manner, which is crucial for keeping up with the industry’s pace.
• Creative artists: Artists, photographers, and writers use it to present their work or concepts in a narrative yet concise way, often to peers or potential clients.

Pecha Kucha presentations are popular in many fields because they emphasize being brief and clear. It pushes presenters to get straight to the point, which is vital in our fast-paced world. Also, its structured format brings in a creative aspect, making presentations more than just informative, but artistic too.

Pecha Kucha in the digital age

Today, where virtual settings are dominating in business and education, Pecha Kucha presentations stand out. This format’s concise nature is perfect for online meetings and webinars, where keeping the audience engaged is crucial. And with the Prezi Video functionality, you don’t need to settle for screen sharing – you can effectively showcase your slides right next to you on-screen, improving engagement.

It’s also a great tool in online education, helping to deliver compact lessons that are easy for students to digest. This blend of brevity and visual storytelling makes Pecha Kucha presentations an ideal choice for digital communication.

Tips for making the most of your virtual Pecha Kucha presentation

• Test your tech: Ensure your microphone, camera, and internet connection are stable, and your Prezi Video is connected.
• Engage your audience: Although uncommon in traditional Pecha Kucha presentations, in adapting Pecha Kucha for virtual settings, you can consider interactive elements like polls or Q&A to enhance engagement, especially in an environment where audience attention can be more fragmented.
• Practice timing: Rehearse to keep each slide to 20 seconds. Online environments demand precise timing to hold attention.
• Eye contact: Although virtual, try to look at the camera to create a sense of connection with your audience.

Challenges and tips for overcoming them in Pecha Kucha presentations

While Pecha Kucha presentations offer a unique and engaging way to convey information, they also come with their own set of challenges. Here are some common challenges that presenters may face and tips on how to overcome them:

Content selection

When it comes to picking what goes on each slide, it can be a bit tricky. The key here is to keep things focused. Stick to your main ideas and visuals that really back up what you’re saying. Avoid adding in extra stuff that doesn’t directly support your message.

Nervousness

Presenting in a fast-paced style like Pecha Kucha can make anyone feel a bit jittery. To tackle this , practice your presentation in front of friends or colleagues. Getting comfortable with your material and the timing can help ease those nerves.

Technical issues

Whether you’re presenting digitally or in person, tech problems can pop up unexpectedly. It’s a good idea to be ready for these hiccups by testing your equipment beforehand. Having a backup plan in case of any technical glitches will ensure your presentation stays smooth and professional.

Lack of detail

Pecha Kucha is all about brevity, but sometimes, you might worry about leaving out important details. To deal with this, consider offering extra resources or references for those who want to dive deeper into your topic after your presentation.

Slide design

Creating visually appealing slides that match your message can be a bit of a challenge. Don’t hesitate to use Prezi’s design tools to your advantage. And if you’re not sure about your presentation’s look, asking for feedback on its aesthetics can be really helpful.

By recognizing and getting ready for these challenges, you’ll be well-prepared to make sure your Pecha Kucha presentation delivers your message effectively.

Learn more about creating and delivering a Pecha Kucha presentation in the following video:

Prezi: the best platform to create your Pecha Kucha presentation 

Prezi is well-suited for Pecha Kucha presentations for many reasons. First, its non-linear presentation style allows for creative storytelling , which aligns with the concise and impactful nature of Pecha Kucha. The zooming feature of Prezi helps to maintain audience engagement , a key aspect of Pecha Kucha. Also, Prezi’s visual-centric approach is perfect for Pecha Kucha’s emphasis on visuals over text. And finally, Prezi’s ease of use and flexibility in arranging content helps presenters focus on timing, crucial for the 20 seconds per slide format of Pecha Kucha.

How to create a Pecha Kucha using Prezi

Creating a Pecha Kucha presentation using Prezi involves a few key steps:

• Start a new Prezi: Choose a blank presentation or a template or one that suits your topic.
• Plan your content: Since Pecha Kucha requires 20 slides, each for 20 seconds, outline your main points to fit this format.
• Choose a theme: Think about a theme such as colors and fonts that align with the message of your Pecha Kucha. You want to be consistent on every slide so be sure to use the same theme throughout the whole presentation.
• Add slides: Create 20 slides in Prezi. Focus on using images and minimal text for each slide. This will help you attain your goal of sharp, concise content, which is crucial for a Pecha Kucha presentation.
• Design your slides: Use Prezi’s tools to add visuals, keeping in mind the zoom and pan features that can make transitions more engaging.
• Time for your presentation: Practice your speech to ensure each slide is presented for 20 seconds.
• Rehearse: Run through your presentation multiple times to get the timing right.

Remember, Prezi’s strength is in creating visually appealing and non-linear presentations, which can add a dynamic element to your Pecha Kucha.

Presenting your Pecha Kucha

So, you’ve designed and created your Pecha Kucha, but what about presenting it successfully? Here’s some tips for presenting your Pecha Kucha in the most effective way: 

• Start strong: Open by saying something engaging to grab attention immediately. Your first slide sets the tone.
• Confidence: Always use strong body language to make yourself appear confident, even if you’re not. Good posture, clear gestures, and a loud voice can make you seem self-assured despite nerves. 
• Storytelling: Weave your information into a fast-paced story. Stories are easier for audiences to follow and remember.
• Visuals are key: Use strong, relevant images. Pecha Kucha is visually driven; let your pictures do the talking.
• Minimize text: Avoid clutter. Use key phrases or words only, as visuals should lead the narrative.
• Practice, practice, practice: Know your material well. This ensures smooth transitions and timing.
• Keep to the point: Focus on your main message. Each slide should contribute clearly to your overall point. During the speech, choose your words wisely to stick to the punchy, attention-grabbing method of Pecha Kucha. 
• Engage with your audience: Make eye contact. Engaging with your audience creates a connection.
• Use humor wisely: If appropriate, humor can make your presentation memorable. But keep it relevant.
• Time management: Again, it’s important to stick to the 20-second rule per slide to maintain pace and structure.
• End with impact: Conclude with a strong, memorable point or call to action. Leave your audience with something to think about.

It’s essential to understand that how you deliver your Pecha Kucha is as crucial as its design. A confident and clear presentation keeps the audience engaged and interested in your message. Preparation is key. Stick to your plan and avoid deviating or getting sidetracked, as this can disrupt the structure and purpose of your Pecha Kucha.

Final thoughts on Pecha Kucha presentations

Wrapping up, Pecha Kucha presentations are a great way to share ideas effectively, especially in the digital era. They are quick, focused, and keep audiences engaged. For creating these presentations, Prezi stands out as an ideal tool. Its features complement the Pecha Kucha style, helping your presentation make a stronger impact. If you’re planning your next presentation, give Prezi a try to bring your Pecha Kucha to life.

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Home Blog Presentation Ideas How to Create a Highly Effective Pecha Kucha Presentation

How to Create a Highly Effective Pecha Kucha Presentation

Brevity is considered the soul of wit, but it can also be a powerful technique for effective communication. When you say more with less, you capture your audience’s attention and leave a lasting impression. This is precisely what Pecha Kucha is all about.

It’s a quick-fire format presentation where the speaker tells a story using photos within strict timing.

Whether you’re a seasoned presenter or just starting, Pecha Kucha has something to offer those who want to take their presentations to the next level. In this article, we’ll dive into its benefits as a presentation style and provide tips and strategies for creating effective Pecha Kucha presentations.

What Is a Pecha Kucha Presentation?

The format of a Pecha Kucha, or 20×20 presentation, is simple: in a Pecha Kucha presentation, the presenter shows 20 slides containing an image, each displaying for exactly 20 seconds. The photos will auto-forward, so there’s no way of going back to or skipping ahead of the slides. This means each presentation is exactly 6 minutes and 40 seconds long.

This style of Pecha Kucha presentation is quite similar to lightning talks, where the speakers have five minutes to present a five-slide presentation, or the ignite talks, where presenters have 15 seconds to present each slide of a 20-slide presentation.

The challenge for presenters is to convey their idea with the combined use of images and concise, impactful statements within this tight time frame.

Pecha Kucha, which means “chit-chat” in Japanese, was created by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, who seek to encourage a fast-paced presentation style. Since then, it has become a worldwide phenomenon, used in settings ranging from academic conferences to business meetings and even informal gatherings.

The Benefits of Pecha Kucha Presentations

Pecha Kucha presentations are highly engaging. The timing of Pecha Kucha presentations adds an element of excitement. Each slide changes every 20 seconds, keeping the audience engaged, and this helps hold their attention and prevents them from becoming distracted or disengaged.

Pecha Kucha helps you focus on the main topic. The time limit helps presenters stay on track and avoid going off on tangents, which can be a problem in more traditional presentations. This can be a valuable skill in the corporate world, where time is often limited, and getting to the point quickly is crucial.

Pecha Kucha presentations are highly visual. Because Pecha Kucha presentations rely heavily on visual aids, they can effectively communicate complex or abstract ideas to an audience. This helps make presentations more memorable and impactful, as the brain processes visual information more quickly and effectively than written or spoken information.

Pecha Kucha promotes creative thinking and communication. The format challenges presenters to distill their ideas into a concise and visually engaging format. So instead of running around the bush and filling in their talk with non-essential information, they focus on the most important aspects of their message. 

Furthermore, the challenge of syncing the message with images stimulates creativity by inspiring connections and associations between ideas.

How to Make a Pecha Kucha Presentation (Step by Step)

1. define your main message.

Defining your main message is crucial in preparing a presentation or communication, and also when preparing a Pecha Kucha presentation. When you can pinpoint the core message you want to convey during a presentation, it becomes easier to identify which information to include and which to eliminate.

To narrow down your presentation’s key message or idea, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the purpose of my presentation – to inform, to inspire, to convince?
• What do I want my audience to know?
• What do I want my audience to do after the presentation?

Your main message should be a direct answer to these questions and something your audience can easily grasp and remember.

Example: Let’s say you are giving a presentation on a new diet cereal bar product. A good thesis could be, “Diet cereal bars are a convenient and nutritious snack option that can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.”

From here, you can start outlining and structure your presentation. Let the main message lead the way.

So, in our example, you can cite studies showing the health benefits of eating a nutritious diet and present the nutritional value of cereal bars that can help achieve that goal.

2. Select the Best Visuals

You can identify the main message of your presentation and the points that go along with it. The second step would be turning them into visuals.

Many presentation guides will tell you how important visualizations are in a PowerPoint, but Pecha Kucha takes that even further. As mentioned, it emphasizes storytelling with the use of images.

You may still use text to provide context for visual elements, but use it sparingly and avoid paragraphs. Remember, you only have 20 seconds to present each slide, so your audience won’t have the time to read lengthy texts.

Instead, you should use high-quality images directly related to your message. This will help reinforce your message and ensure your visuals are not distracting or confusing.

It’s a hard rule to avoid cartoonish and clipart photos, especially in the business setting, as they make your slide look tacky. This might mean using more modern, minimalist images for a sleek, professional look or more vibrant, colorful images for a more playful and creative feel.

It’s also important to consider the overall aesthetic of your presentation template and choose images consistent with that theme. If you represent a brand, use slides with the look and feel you are known for.

Example: In our diet cereal bar example, you may choose images that showcase the bar’s ingredients, such as images of whole grains, nuts, and dried fruits. You could also use images of people engaging in healthy activities, such as jogging or hiking, to reinforce the idea that the cereal bar is a healthy snack option for people on the go.

3. Structure Your Presentation

Like other forms of presentation, a Pecha Kucha presentation should have a clear structure – no matter how short. You may need it more in this scenario to avoid losing any of your precious time going off on tangents.

Conversely, it will be easier for your audience to follow along and understand your message if you present it organized and coherently.

You can follow several presentation structures , but for something like Pecha Kucha, we recommend a more linear style. One that has an introduction, body, and conclusion.

The Pyramid Principle has all these elements and might work in a fast-paced presentation format. In this style, the main idea or conclusion is presented at the beginning, followed by a series of supporting points that are organized hierarchically. This approach can help your audience engage in critical thinking, as they are encouraged to consider how each piece of information relates to the larger message being presented.

Example: Let’s return to our diet cereal bar example to illustrate how the Pyramid Principle can be applied in a Pecha Kucha presentation.

Open your presentation by stating your main idea or message: “Our diet cereal bars are a convenient and nutritious snack option that can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.”

Then, discuss the supporting points that further develop the main idea.

• You may discuss the natural ingredients and X calories it contains, making it a healthy snack option.
• You may talk about the range of delicious flavors that it comes with, establishing the idea that it’s a nutritious option that does not compromise on taste.
• You may talk about the convenient packaging that makes it perfect for busy people on the go.

4. Practice, practice, practice

Pecha Kucha’s presentation is all about timing and mastery, so you must conduct a  dry run to ensure that you’d feel comfortable with the flow of your presentation on the actual delivery.

Rehearse your presentation multiple times as if it’s the real thing. This means setting a strict timer for 20 seconds per slide to ensure that you are staying on track and not going over time. Google Slide and PowerPoint have an option that automatically advances slides within several seconds.

Although 20 seconds may feel very short, speak at a moderate pace to ensure you are not rushing through the presentation. But, also avoid lingering on any one slide for too long.

Tips and Tricks for an Effective Pecha Kucha Delivery

1. using engaging storytelling techniques.

Although we did say that you may state your main idea at the beginning of your presentation , you don’t just get to drop the bomb, or it will sound dry. Using an engaging story will help you do this with finesse.

People are naturally drawn to stories – they love journeys. Structure your presentation like a story, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Sharing personal experiences or anecdotes through storytelling can help to humanize your presentation and make it more relatable for your audience.

Example: You can share a personal anecdote about your struggles with maintaining a healthy diet. You could talk about how you struggled to find healthy snack options while working long hours at your desk job.

2. Connecting With Your Audience and Maintaining It

Sharing a story or a personal experience is one way to connect with your audience. Still, it isn’t just about getting their attention – keeping their attention on you is far more important.

It’s common advice for speakers to keep eye contact with the audience. We’d like to add something to this – look at your audience intently and respond to what you see. Knowing your audience’s nonverbal cues can help you connect with them and respond to their needs.

Speaking of nonverbal, you should be aware of your body language too. Use intentional hand gestures, but avoid excessive movements that may take the audience’s attention from you.

Finally, don’t forget to smile. Smiling helps convey a positive and approachable attitude and shows that you like your audience.

3. Handling Unexpected Challenges Or Technical Issues

With over six minutes to present your case, there should be no room for mistakes when making a Pecha Kucha presentation. The best advice is to have a backup plan for your backup plan.

No, we don’t mean carrying 2 laptops and 2 projectors around! But it’s best practice to have a USB drive with your presentation saved on it, just in case. You may also save your presentation on the cloud if you lose both copies on your device and external drive.

In the event of a complete technology failure, be ready to present without the slides. Remember, the slides are only a visual aid, and your delivery and message are the most important aspects of your presentation.

If you need a quick method to create a pecha kucha presentation, check out our  AI presentation maker . A tool in which you add the topic, curate the outline, select a design, and let AI do the work for you.

Pecha Kucha makes it possible to deliver a compelling presentation within minutes. Remember to keep your main message at the forefront when creating this type of presentation, choose high-quality visuals that reinforce your message, and practice your timing to ensure your presentation flows smoothly. With these tips, you can deliver a presentation that leaves a lasting impression on your audience.

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What is a Pecha Kucha Presentation?

Imagine this: You're in a presentation, listening minute after minute to someone reading directly from a PowerPoint . Their voice is monotonous, and without realizing it, you start disconnecting from what they are saying within a few minutes. After half an hour, you're already bored, and after an hour, you can't wait for it to end.

Sounds familiar? We've all experienced the infamous "death by PowerPoint" at some point. The good news: there is a solution. If you want your presentations to tell a story and keep the audience engaged, there is a presentation style you should know about: Pecha Kucha. Today, we will tell you everything you need to know about it.

We’ll go over the following topics:

What is Pecha Kucha Presentation?

What are the origins of pechakucha presentations, how do you do a pecha kucha presentation let’s go step-by-step.

• What do experts say? Best practices for creating pecha kucha style presentation

Ready to create your own? Check out some Pecha Kucha Presentation Examples

Pechakucha frequently asked questions, what is the difference between a powerpoint presentation and a pecha kucha, what is a pecha kucha night, what are good topics for pecha kucha presentation.

Pecha Kucha, chit-chat in Japanese, is a unique presentation style . These presentations are known for telling stories through images rather than text and are typically brief. They use the 20x20 rule, where each presentation consists of 20 slides, and each slide is displayed for only 20 seconds, automatically progressing to the next one. This results in a total presentation time of 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

This might be a novel format and one that challenges the speaker more than regular presentations, but it undoubtedly has its benefits. The main one is the huge improvement in the audience’s experience. Why?

• It keeps presentations concise and dynamic , making them feel fast, light, and engaging. 
• It minimizes distractions and maximizes engagement. 
• Since there is no text to read from,  presenters have to be more prepared and make the effort to craft a coherent story , resulting in a seamless narrative. 
• It helps speakers stay on-topic , preventing them from going off track and adding unnecessary details to their talks.

Pecha Kucha presentations help you develop valuable skills that are beneficial in many settings . One of them is definitely the corporate world, where time constraints are common and concise communication is essential. Another one is in educational settings like classrooms, where these type of presentations can improve student’s public speaking abilities. Research strongly supports these benefits:

“One of the greatest advantages of PK is that it is often very appealing, engaging, and enjoyable to the audience (...). According to A. M. Beyer (2011) , the creative use of PowerPoint software has the potential to result in high student engagement on the side of both the presenter and the audience.”

Pecha Kucha presentations were created in Tokyo in 2003 by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham . They introduced it as a platform for young designers to come together, showcase their work, and exchange ideas through brief presentations. The core principle behind Pecha Kucha was to "talk less, show more,"

Since then, its popularity has gone beyond the design field, becoming a worldwide phenomenon . These presentations are now used in many different settings ranging from academic conferences to business meetings and even informal gatherings. There is a whole community dedicated to Pecha Kucha, who get together and organize “Pecha Kucha Nights.”

Are you ready to create your own Pecha Kucha presentation? Let’s take a look at how to do them in PowerPoint.

In the Home Tab, go to Slides and click New Slides until you get the 20 slides you need. You can also click Ctrl + M.

Now, you need to remove any placeholders they have. To do this, go to the View Tab, and in Presentation Views , choose Slide Sorter . Select all of your slides. 

Then, go to the Home Tab, select Layout , and choose Blank .

The next step is to set the slides to advance automatically. To achieve this, go to the Transitions Tab. In timing, go to Advance Slides , deselect On Mouse Click , and check After . Now, set the timer for 20 seconds .

Finally, you can add a Transition effect. It’s best to choose a simple one, such as Fade , and select a short Duration for it (such as 00.50).

And that’s all! Now, you can begin inserting your images and practicing your presentation.

What do experts say? Best practices for creating Pecha Kucha style presentation

Understanding what Pecha Kucha is about is pretty straightforward, but actually doing this type of presentation can be much more difficult than people think. But we are here to help! We have come up with the best tips and tricks from our presentation experts . Let’s take a look at what they say:

1.Before you begin…take a step back!

All experts agree on one thing: take time to prepare your presentation . Before you even open PowerPoint, you should be able to answer:

• What story will you be talking about? Why?
• What is your goal? To inform? Inspire? Convince?
• What is the impression you want to give?
• What feeling do you want your audience to stay with?

After you have all your answers, it’s time to plan. Take out your pen and paper and start drafting what you want to say. In this first draft, just let your ideas flow without trying to filter or organize them, and include everything you would like to share. 

The next step is to organize all of your ideas. To do so, group them by sections and then define the content slide by slide. Consider the following structure:

• Introduction: This is the first impression you’ll give your audience. Think about how you’ll engage with them, get their attention and connect emotionally.
• Middle: In this section, remember to keep the flow of the story, so make sure each slide is connected with the one that comes before and after.
• Closing: Consider what you want your audience to stay with. It could be an emotion, idea, or desire to do something. This is one of the parts your audience will remember the most.

Remember that achieving your perfect structure and content is not easy and definitely not something you get on your first try. It might take many attempts before you get the version you’ll be presenting , but don’t worry! It’s all part of the process.

2. Select the best visuals

Once you have defined your content per slide, it’s time to choose the images you’ll show. This is a really important step because it is the only thing your audience will see. Since these images will be the primary focus for your audience, consider the following tips:

• Choose high-quality images: Choose the highest-quality visuals, especially if they will be displayed in fullscreen. Clear and captivating images can significantly enhance the overall impression of your presentation.
• Align images with your message: Reflect on the content of each slide and ask yourself: "What story am I telling, and what type of image complements that narrative?" Make sure that the chosen images really align and reinforce your intended message.
• Maintain coherence: Establish visual coherence throughout your presentation. If you have established a theme, only choose images that seamlessly integrate with that theme. 
• Establish emotional connections: Consider the emotional impact your chosen pictures may have on your audience. A well-selected image can evoke emotions, making your presentation more memorable and engaging.

3. Practice, practice, practice

One might think delivering a short presentation is much easier than giving an extended talk, but evidence suggests the opposite. Actually, being clear and concise is a challenge most people underestimate . It is not easy to synthesize information and stay on topic, not to mention being able to tell a story and connect in under 7 minutes!

This is why practice is so important, especially in this type of presentations, so make sure you follow these practice tips:

• Practice to adjust your presentation: The first few times you run through your whole presentation, time yourself and see if you need to make any adjustments to your content to get the exact 20 seconds per slide. You may need to leave some details out or adjust your information so the content in all your slides is balanced.
• Practice to perfect your presentation: Once your content is adjusted and ready, shift your focus to memorizing the presentation. Pay attention to the flow of your presentation, ensuring a seamless connection between points. Additionally, practice your oratory skills—intonation, vocal tone, strategic pauses, breath control, body language, and eye contact. Every detail matters.

Bonus tip: You can record yourself or practice in front of a mirror. This might be uncomfortable, but it will do wonders for your presentation skills.

Are you preparing a Pecha Kucha presentation? Then don't miss these examples!

Pecha Kucha Presentation Example #1: Let’s Promote Wellness in Patients  

In this example, Mark Holder talks about using positive psychology to promote health care. What makes this presentation stand out is its ability to capture the viewer's attention, maintain interest , and communicate effectively. Images are used as visual support, and the presentation flows interestingly and engagingly.

Pecha Kucha Presentation Example #2: Our Words Can Create Sustained Change

In this example, Manisha Willms reflects on what it means to be healthy. She does this by showing us drawings of 4-year-olds about what the word "healthy" means to them. 

As for the presentation, her use of images is different, as her slides are only focused on the children's drawings , which complement her talk instead of guiding it. Nevertheless, they achieve the purpose of connecting with the audience by generating emotions such as tenderness and laughter; and totally complement the message she gives.

Pecha Kucha Presentation Example #3: Let's Put More Joy into Our Lives and Work

This example is a more personal one. In this talk, Eyoälha Baker talks about her life experiences and challenging moments, and how these helped her connect with the importance of sharing joy through her work.

This presentation shows us a great example of connecting with an audience through vulnerability and transparency. Eyoälha is not afraid of being open, showing emotion, and telling personal stories, and the audience warmly receives and embraces them.

The main difference between traditional PowerPoint presentations and Pecha Kucha presentations is their style and format. While PowerPoint presentations allow for flexibility in terms of duration and how content is presented,  Pecha Kucha presentations adhere to a specific format.

Pecha Kucha presentations exclusively utilize images without any accompanying text. They follow the 20x20 rule, where each presentation consists of 20 slides , each shown for only 20 seconds before automatically progressing to the next one. This structured approach results in a total presentation time of 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

Inspired by the success of Pecha Kucha among designers, thousands of cities worldwide began hosting their own Pecha Kucha Nights. These events consist of people getting together to present their own Pecha Kucha . The topics of the presentations can vary widely, from holiday photos to political messages, as long as presenters adhere to the 20x20 format.

If you'd like to know more about Pecha Kucha Nights or see more examples, check out this page about Pecha Kucha Nights in Dundee to get an idea about the community and atmosphere of such events.

Good topics for a Pecha Kucha presentation are those that fit well with the short format and can be represented by exclusively using images . Some of the most common topics are:

• Personal projects or initiatives
• Travel adventures
• Reflections or ideas
• Personal stories

These subjects work effectively within the 20x20 format, allowing presenters to communicate meaningful insights without overwhelming the audience .

On the other hand, Pecha Kucha may not be the best choice for some presentations, such as presentations with a lot of data , details or ones with controversial topics. Because of the time limit, presentations that require a lot of detail, explanation or discussion with the audience are not the best idea for this format.

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Pecha Kucha Presentations: The Ultimate Guide to Engaging Presentations

Dive into the world of Pecha Kucha and discover how this unique presentation format can transform your storytelling and audience engagement. Find out how this innovative presentation format can help you convey ideas more effectively and keep your audience hooked from start to finish.

What’s a Rich Text element?

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

• Nostrum non voluptas alias sit ut corporis perspiciatis nihil molestiae. Vitae quidem aut aut quia quia porro explicabo. Similique occaecati sit quo. Enim enim dolor ut. Et error alias nam fuga voluptas inventore placeat et. Eligendi similique officia provident magni aut quasi soluta qui.
• Deleniti totam eius similique repellendus. 
• Deleniti totam eius similique repellendus. Doloremque sunt nihil et. Tenetur delectus velit ut. Pariatur velit ipsa.

3 Static and dynamic content editing

4 static and dynamic content editing.

A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

5 Static and dynamic content editing

6 static and dynamic content editing.

A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any pa ge and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

How to customize formatting for each rich text

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.

"Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system."

How attentive is your audience? Some of you may say that it depends on a variety of factors, but we have a surprise for you – most of the viewers are less attentive than a goldfish. You've read it right. According to recent studies, the average human attention span is around 8 seconds . What's more important is that it is dropping as we stride into the brighter future.

Pecha Kucha presentation is your chance to make the most of the time to deliver the main message and leave a lasting impression. Why is that? The concept of Pecha Kucha relies on dynamic and engaging presentation. It is a perfect case of where less is more.

Pecha Kucha is a Japanese presentation style and literally translates as "chit-chat." The main task of the presenter is to dilute a complex concept into small, digestible bits that capture the audience. Today, we'll discuss the main pillars the format relies on, present effective tips, and outline the shady areas to stand away from. If you want to master the art of concise communication – you have come to the right place!

The Essence of Pecha Kucha Presentations

Many professional presentation design services and reliable corporations use Pecha Kucha presentations because of the perks it has over traditional presentation styles. First things first, the style has a well-defined time frame and layout – 20 slides, 20 seconds per each. All in all, you have 6 minutes and 40 seconds to introduce and explain your ideas so that they leave a lasting impact.

While it may seem like an impossible mission to fill the whole presentation in such a short period, we want to stress that Pecha Kucha relies on the visual aspect of the presentation. It takes a well-chosen and compelling image to complete or support the primary narrative. Here comes the second critical component of this presentation format – a resonating story.

Advantages of Pecha Kucha style presentation

Pecha Kucha format comes with multiple perks and benefits. They are the following:

• No room for digressions. All the points are delivered with clarity, conciseness, and impact.
• Creative thinking and innovative means of presenting complex concepts and ideas.
• A fresh alternative to longer presentations .
• Limited chance of deviation while presenting for the speaker.

History and Evolution of Pecha Kucha

The first Pecha Kucha presentation example ever was delivered in Tokyo at the art space – SuperDelux. The two devout architects – Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham – wanted to share the work of their colleagues creatively and concisely. They gave each presenter a chance to share their thoughts and ideas through dynamic presentations. The strict time frame was used to ensure that even the most complicated ideas weren't lost on the audience.

Since the first Pecha Kucha Night turned out to be a success, the founders decided to repeat them on a regular basis. As the word about the innovative presentation style spread, other communities around the world started to test the format. Starting off as a one-time thing, originating from a creative hub, the Pecha Kucha style has taken over countless industries. All because of the conciseness and creative take on traditional communication and delivery of innovative concepts and solutions.

How to Create a Compelling Pecha Kucha Presentation

Effective examples of Pecha Kucha presentations usually rely on three main pillars:

Let's discuss these primary aspects of the presentation in detail, shall we?

Content Suggestions

One of the main elements of a successful slide deck presentation is relevant content. Whitepage experts have rounded up the most effective planning tips that will help you deliver the primary message.

• Point out the main idea you want to focus on. Outline the most critical details that you want to share to keep the message concise but informative.
• Build a compelling narrative that intensifies emotional connection with the audience. You can use personal stories, anecdotes, and witty metaphors to keep the viewers interested and engaged.
• The visual component of a Pecha Kucha slideshow is critical for a lasting impression. So, you should ensure relevant and high-quality visualization, whether you use images, videos, or graphics.
• Minimize the use of text on your slides. It takes a lot longer for the audience to process loads of text, and you are limited in time.

Pecha Kucha is surely a short presentation, but it does not mean that you don't have to practice the delivery to make sure that everything goes as planned, and here's why:

• You are on the clock. Relevant rehearsals will help you define if you can make it within the given period. You must present all the planned information so that there are no holes in your story.
• You get more confident . Practice helps you to work on your presentation body language so that you can intensify the lasting effect without saying a word. The more confident you get, the smoother the actual presentation will be.
• You will eliminate weak spots. Presenting without the pressure of the actual audience will help you define problem zones that can be fixed. You may spot some weak wording or unnecessary details that take up time without bearing any significant role.

Engagement 

Pecha Kucha's presentation format implies audience interaction. Surely, you can't spend much time on engagement, but there are a few practical tricks you can use:

• Make eye contact with the audience to build an individual bond with the viewers.
• Work on positive body language that instills confidence and enthusiasm.
• Spice your presentation with good humor to lighten up the mood. Timely jokes will surely break the ice and make your delivery memorable.
• Don't hide your passion. Enthusiasm can be contagious. Once the audience starts to feel your energy, they will follow your lead and pay attention to everything that you are willing to share.

Examples of Successful Pecha Kucha Presentations

Real-life Pecha Kucha presentation examples always contain the inspiration that theory lacks. We've gathered a couple of successful Pecha Kucha presentations you may find interesting while working on your project.

Let's Put More Joy into Our Lives and Work - Eyoälha Baker's Health Care Pecha Kucha

In this Pecha Kucha presentation, Eyoälha Baker , a dedicated artist, shares her thoughts about the future of health care. She delivers a self-based presentation that tells her story, which is filled with ups and downs. The personal narrative, open and friendly body language, and pace of the presentation make it resonate with every member of the audience. Eyoälha Baker crafts a captivating narrative with a clear and concise introduction, a middle part, and a grand finale. The artist bases her presentation on an intense feeling – a feeling of vulnerability – and shares her emotions openly, which warms up the audience and leaves a desired and genuine impact.

Let's Promote Wellness in Patients – Mark Holder's Health Care Pecha Kucha

Dr. Mark Holder is a famous teacher and researcher who has dedicated his life to the science of happiness. His Pecha Kucha presentation differs from the one we've discussed above. Instead of relying solely on personal experiences, the professor captures the audience's attention through corresponding visuals that resonate with his speech. Dr. Holder maintains a steady flow of the presentation that allows the viewers to submerge into the narrative. Although the topic of the presentation is quite serious, the speaker uses timely jokes supported by real-life stories and matching images to lighten up the mood without deviating from the subject.

Tips for Mastering the Pecha Kucha Format

The best Pecha Kucha presentations are an expert mixture of dedication, creativity, practice, and skill. Surely, it is an easy task for a professional pitch deck design company , but if you are new to the field, you may require some practical advice on how to master this presentation style.

• Start with a story. A compelling story based on the central message of your presentation will engage the audience and keep them alert, let alone thirsty for more.
• Aim for balance . Your speech should be in perfect harmony with the visual aid. Moreover, the visuals you use should correlate with one another, complement one another, and be stylized accordingly.
• Find your pace . You have 20 seconds for a slide, but that does not mean that you should be in a rush. All you have to do is define a piece of information to deliver during the given period without speeding or dragging. You can use pauses to stress important points.
• Practice, practice, practice . Make as many rehearsals as needed. Ask your friends and colleagues to provide feedback on your presentation. Use a timer to make sure you stay within a 20-second range while delivering. Add revisions to your presentation before you present the final copy.
• ‍ Always be prepared . Sometimes, things don't go as smoothly as you've expected, no matter the amount of practice. Technical issues arise and whatnot. You have to be ready to adapt and improvise. Work on your focus and confidence, not to mention the material for the presentation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Pecha Kucha Presentations

Just as it helps to know how to make a presentation outline , it is useful to be familiar with the common pitfalls to avoid. There are a few mistakes you may want to steer clear of when working on your Pecha Kucha presentation. They are the following:

• Clutter . Whether the first, middle, or presentation final slide you are working on, none should be overcrowded. Minimize the textual component of the slide and bet on the visual impact.
• Timing . You have 20 seconds at your disposal – no more, no less. Don't ignore the rule, or you will disrupt the whole pace of the presentation, which will negatively affect viewer perception.
• Practice . No matter how well you know the material, you should rehearse the presentation to ensure that everything runs smoothly, including but not limited to timing, pace, and transition.
• Interaction . Even if you know how to speak eloquently , you must establish a strong connection with the audience. A smile here, a joke there, direct eye contact, and relaxed body language will keep the viewers alert and attentive.

Pecha Kucha for Business and Education

We've mentioned that initially, Pecha Kucha slides were only for the creative circles. However, these days, the format is widely used throughout the business and education field, and for a good reason.Pecha Kucha's ideas have found their place in the business environment primarily because of their conciseness and effective time management. You can use the presentation style to deliver various updates and progress and even share new ideas. The format allows it to cut a complex concept into tiny, digestible pieces, which makes it easier to absorb and provoke a desired reaction.As for the educational sphere, Pecha Kucha projects suit lecture formats perfectly. You can introduce new, complicated topics to the students without overwhelming them with the complexity of the subject. Besides, students can use the style to deliver their projects as well. The tight time frame teaches students how to use their time effectively and how to figure out the main points and deliver them.

What is a Pecha Kucha presentation? It is a dynamic mini-presentation that offers a chance to deliver an important message concisely and with an impact. Whether you plan on pitching an innovative solution to investors, sharing critical updates on your business project, or want to introduce a new subject to your students – Pecha Kucha is the format to refer to.We've shared handy tips, provided inspiring examples, and outlined critical mistakes to avoid when working on a Pecha Kucha presentation, but the style is trickier than it seems. If you want to save time and effort, it is always a good idea to entrust the task into the hands of trained professionals. The Whitepage team is only a call away!Care to learn how to make handouts for a presentation , choose the best font size for presentations , and master the art of an accessible presentation ? Check out our Blog section!

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Tips For Giving Your First PechaKucha Presentation

The average human attention span is eight seconds. That’s shorter than the average attention span of a goldfish, and probably less time than it would take to introduce yourself on stage. In a survey, 4 out of 5 professionals claimed that they shift their focus away from the presenter during any given presentation they’re watching. If you’re going to lose your audience before you even really begin, what’s the point? In an effort to be more successful, presenters are constantly testing new formats to package their message in a way that both resonates with their audience, and keeps them engaged from slide to slide.

Basically, we’re all trying to solve the infamous “death by PowerPoint”? The solution: Beautiful.ai meets PechaKucha.

PechaKucha is a presentation format that has been adopted by many. From PechaKucha nights with friends, to new curriculum standards at universities, PechaKucha has changed the way people present. But what is it, exactly?

What is PechaKucha?

Not to be confused with Pikachu (any Pokémon fans out there?), PechaKucha— which is Japanese for chit-chat— is a particular presentation style. In 2003, architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Tokyo’s Klein Dytham architecture invented PechaKucha in an effort to bring “More show. Less tell,” to life in presentations. Essentially, the duo wanted to streamline the process and delivery of long design presentations to make them more digestible to audiences. The format follows a simple 20x20 rule in which each presentation is 20 slides, and each slide is shown for only 20 seconds each. Think of it as a speed presentation, where the presenter has to make their point— beginning to end— in 7 minutes total. 

The PechaKucha format is used among friends for PechaKucha nights (similar to the TikTok-famous PowerPoint nights ), in business, and at schools. It’s an elevator pitch for your topic. The short-form presentations keep distractions to a minimum, and engagement at a maximum. Specifically, teachers have found the format to be extremely useful when trying to engage students and encourage critical thinking in the classroom. “This presentation style was designed to help people tell a story instead of lecturing to others,” Jim Ave, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Kinesiology at Fresno Pacific University said in an interview . “This keeps students engaged. It’s another tool to use in class to foster learning.”

Tips for giving your first PechaKucha presentation

Now that you have a little bit of background on the ever-popular PechaKucha, here's how to nail your first 20x20 presentation .

Be passionate about your topic

Because of the nature of a PechaKucha presentation, presenters have to be quick on their toes. Providing commentary for each slide in under 20 seconds is no small feat, and in order to do it well presenters need to be knowledgeable in the topic. It’s considerably easier to make your point quicker when you’re passionate about the topic. If you’re planning a PechaKucha presentation, choose something that genuinely interests you and that you can speak on with little-to-no effort. 

Know your story

As with any presentation, you should know your story before you even think about designing a slide. But this is especially true when you’re trying to scramble to hit your point in under 20 seconds. With a firm stance on your positioning, it will be easier to structure your story and touch on all key points. If you’re going through each slide like you’re telling a story to your best friend, it will be more seamless and you’ll be a lot less likely to slip up on your words or get stuck mid-slide. 

Let your slides do the talking

When you’re on a time-crunch, your slides have to pull more weight. Let them say what you can’t in 20 seconds. Images are your friend here. Nobody wants to attempt to read (and comprehend) a big block of text in 20 seconds before it’s gone, so lean into visual storytelling. In fact, most PechaKucha presentations don’t include any text at all and simply use images for each slide. Your image should be relevant to the point you are trying to make, and have an obvious connection to your topic. Beautiful.ai’s free image library boasts an impressive collection of hundreds of thousands of quality photos and icons. Regardless of your PechaKucha topic, there is truly something for everyone. 

Keep your takeaways to a minimum

Obviously with such limited time, you have to be intentional about your key takeaways. At its core, PechaKucha forces you to say more with less. Keep your main points to a minimum so you can easily zip through each slide in the allotted 20 seconds. You should be able to make your point easily and quickly, and then be ready to move on to the next one. In order to do so without giving your audience whiplash, make sure you structure your presentation in a way that flows and makes sense. Your story should be easy to follow, even if it’s fast. 

Timing is everything

A PechaKucha presentation is all about timing— obviously, that’s the whole basis of the format. To make sure you’re prepared to run (literally, run, don’t walk) through your presentation in less than 7 minutes, you’ll need to practice. And then practice again. We recommend going through your presentation a minimum of three times to ensure you can stay on track with the 20-second per slide limit. 

Jordan Turner

Jordan is a Bay Area writer, social media manager, and content strategist.

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How to Craft a Highly Effective Pecha Kucha Presentation

With their concise format and dynamic style, Pecha Kucha presentations have become increasingly popular in various fields, from design and architecture to business and education. Originating from Japan, the Pecha Kucha format challenges presenters to deliver their message in a visually engaging manner. 

In this article, we’ll explore the key principles and strategies for creating a highly effective Pecha Kucha presentation that captivates audiences and leaves a lasting impression.

Understanding the Pecha Kucha Format

Pecha Kucha, which translates to “chit-chat” in Japanese, follows a simple yet structured format: twenty slides, each displayed for twenty seconds, resulting in a combined presentation time of 6 minutes and 40 seconds. This format forces presenters to distill their message to its essence, focusing on clarity, brevity, and visual impact.

The brevity of the Pecha Kucha format challenges presenters to communicate their ideas succinctly and effectively. With only 20 seconds per slide, there is no room for long-winded explanations or unnecessary details. This laser-focused approach keeps audiences engaged and ensures that the presentation delivers maximum impact in a short amount of time.

Moreover, the structured nature of the Pecha Kucha format encourages presenters to maintain a steady pace and rhythm throughout their presentations. With each slide automatically advancing after 20 seconds, presenters must maintain momentum and keep the presentation flowing smoothly.

Tips to Craft a Stunning Pecha Kucha Presentation

1. define your message.

The first step in crafting a Pecha Kucha presentation is clearly and concisely defining your message. Identify the critical points you want to convey and structure your presentation around them. 

Remember that each slide should communicate one idea or concept, supported by concise text and compelling visuals. Avoid cluttering your slides with too much information or overwhelming graphics, as simplicity is critical.

2. Commence with Storyboarding

Storyboarding is a vital step in the creation process. It helps you visualize the flow of your presentation and ensure coherence and continuity. 

Plan the sequence of your slides, providing a logical progression of ideas and flawless transitions between topics. Once you have finalized your storyboard, rehearse and practice your presentation multiple times to improve and refine your delivery, timing, and pacing. 

Practice speaking confidently and fluently within the 20-second time limit for each slide, aiming for a smooth and polished delivery on the presentation day.

3 . Create Engaging Visuals

Visuals are central in Pecha Kucha presentations, serving as the primary means of communication and engagement. Choose high-quality images, graphics, and videos that complement your message and enhance understanding. Keep text to a minimum, using keywords or short phrases to reinforce key points. Incorporate eye-catching visuals, color schemes, and design elements to capture the audience’s attention and convey your message effectively.

4. Think Outside the Box

One of the hallmarks of Pecha Kucha presentations is creativity, innovation, and outside-the-box thinking. Embrace the opportunity to experiment with unconventional formats, storytelling techniques, and presentation styles that showcase your personality and perspective. 

Consider incorporating interactive elements, live demonstrations, or props to add depth and interest to your presentation. Remember that Pecha Kucha is as much about creativity and expression as it is about information sharing, so do not be afraid to let your imagination run wild.

5. Engage the Audience

Audience engagement is key to a successful Pecha Kucha presentation. Encourage interaction and participation by asking thought-provoking questions, soliciting feedback, or inviting audience members to share their experiences or insights about your topic. Maintain eye contact , use expressive gestures, and speak enthusiastically to keep your viewers invested.

6. Maintain Consistency

Establishing consistency in design elements such as font, colors, and layout is crucial for a mesmerizing experience for your viewers. With the rapid pace of Pecha Kucha presentations, consistency helps ensure that your audience can quickly absorb and understand the information presented without being distracted.

However, it may seem tedious to ensure consistency if you craft slides from scratch. Thus, you can use pre-designed PowerPoint templates and make your presentation look visually consistent, engaging, and professional.

Benefits of Pecha Kucha Presentations

A). cuts through the noise.

In a world inundated with information, brevity is not just appreciated; it is essential. Pecha Kucha presentations cut through the noise, offering a streamlined format that delivers maximum impact in minimum time. By dividing complex concepts into bite-sized chunks, presenters ensure their message is clear, memorable, and easily digestible for audiences with limited attention spans.

b). Keeps the Audience Actively Involved

Pecha Kucha presentations are like a whirlwind tour of inspiration, keeping the audience alert with their fast-paced rhythm and dynamic visuals. With no time for distractions, audiences are drawn into the narrative, eagerly anticipating what is next and actively participating in the presentation journey.

c). Creates a Canvas for Creativity

In the world of Pecha Kucha, there are no boundaries, only possibilities waiting to be found. Presenters are encouraged to think outside the box, pushing through the limits of imagination. Whether through clever storytelling, innovative design, or unexpected twists, Pecha Kucha presentations are all about creativity, where ideas take flight and imagination knows no bounds.

d). Increases Time Efficiency

Time is precious, and Pecha Kucha presentations respect that. With a strict time limit of 6 minutes and 40 seconds, presenters must make every second count, delivering their message with precision and purpose. This efficiency makes Pecha Kucha presentations ideal for busy professionals, conference attendees, and anyone seeking knowledge in a condensed and digestible format.

e). Opportunity for Networking

Beyond the presentation, Pecha Kucha events are a hub of collaboration, bringing together diverse minds and perspectives from across industries and disciplines. Presenters can connect with like-minded individuals, forge new partnerships, and spark meaningful conversations that extend far beyond the confines of the presentation stage.

f). Skill Development

Presenting in the Pecha Kucha format is not just about sharing ideas but also about honing essential communication and presentation skills. From crafting a compelling narrative to delivering it with confidence and flair, presenters develop valuable skills that translate seamlessly to the workplace and beyond. Whether pitching a new project, delivering a keynote speech, or simply sharing ideas with colleagues, the skills acquired through Pecha Kucha presentations are invaluable assets in today’s fast-paced world.

Creating a highly effective Pecha Kucha presentation requires careful planning, creativity, and practice. By understanding the format and embracing creativity and innovation, presenters can deliver impactful presentations that inform, inspire, and entertain. Whether presenting at a conference, pitch competition, or team meeting, mastering the art of Pecha Kucha can enhance your skills and help you become a better presenter.

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Mastering pecha kucha presentation - A definitive guide

Master the essence of this unique style, craft impactful Pecha Kucha presentations.

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Building presentations

Are you ready to dive into the world of Pecha Kucha presentations and ignite your audience's interest with a dynamic and concise presentation style?

Pecha kucha, often referred to as PK, is a presentation format that originated in Tokyo and has taken the global stage by storm. It's closely related to the Ignite presentation method and has gained popularity for its fast-paced, creative approach to sharing ideas and inspiration.

What is Pecha Kucha?

Pecha Kucha is a presentation style that follows a strict structure: 20 slides for 20 seconds each, resulting in a total presentation time of exactly 6 minutes and 40 seconds. The format was created by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham in 2003 and has since spread to cities around the world. In fact, many cities host Pecha Kucha nights where presenters showcase their ideas and stories using this unique and engaging format.

The 20×20 presentation method

The heart of a Pecha Kucha presentation lies in its 20×20 format. Each slide is displayed for 20 seconds, and there are precisely 20 slides in the entire presentation. This constraint forces presenters to be concise, focused, and to the point. It's a refreshing departure from lengthy PowerPoint presentations that can sometimes leave audiences feeling overwhelmed.

Why did Pecha Kucha presentation gain popularity in the business world?

Pecha Kucha was designed to engage the audience during a presentation. The presenter has to deliver the lesson or presentation in the form of a story instead of making it feel like a lecture. Pecha Kucha gained popularity in the business world because of its unique style and efficiency with which time-sensitive information gets delivered.

Also, the Pecha Kucha presentation is versatile since it is used for various industries or topics. A presenter can render a valuable piece of information quickly without eliminating the essence of the information.

How can Pecha Kucha benefit your business presentation?

Pecha Kucha style of presentation is being used around the globe by various industries. It has shown many advantages in the business world that make it unique and useful. Some of the advantages are:

• Time efficiency: With 20 slides displayed in just 6 minutes and 40 seconds, this concise format saves time. It aids in quick and efficient communication, enabling swifter decision-making by employees and management.
• Engagement: The rapid format keeps audiences captivated and focused. This high level of engagement ensures the core message remains impactful without losing its essence.
• Clarity in communication: Pecha Kucha focuses on clear and concise messaging and promotes straightforward communication, enhancing understanding and retention of information.
• Visual storytelling: This format emphasizes strong visual impact and integrates storytelling powerfully with visuals. Connecting verbal content with impactful visuals makes information more memorable and enhances retention among the audience.

Overall, Pecha Kucha’s time efficiency, engagement, clarity, and strong visual impact make it an effective tool for business presentations across various industries.

What key factors to keep in mind when preparing a Pecha Kucha presentation?

Pecha Kutcha’s uniqueness is in the definite number of slides and time in which you present. Therefore, you need to ask yourself three important questions:

What details do you want to tell in 6 minutes and 40 seconds?

Identify the critical and essential details or key points you plan to communicate within the allotted duration of a Pecha Kucha presentation. This response would include outlining the core messages or primary information intended for delivery within the concise time frame.

How can the information be sequenced to weave a cohesive storyline?

You can sequence the information in a Pecha Kucha presentation to craft a cohesive storyline, enabling a logical and engaging flow. This involves arranging the details, key points, or visuals in a structured sequence that naturally progresses, ensuring a coherent and engaging narrative throughout the concise duration of the presentation.

Which parts are unnecessary and can be removed to streamline the presentation?

Scrutinize the presentation content to identify sections or details that may be deemed redundant, excessive, or less crucial. These parts can be modified, condensed, or eliminated to streamline the overall presentation, ensuring a more focused and impactful delivery within the limited timeframe of a Pecha Kucha session.

After you know the answers to these questions you will be clear on the content you want to present. Keep the following things in mind before delivering your Pecha Kucha presentation:

• Precision: Maintain concise and straightforward content to optimize time usage. Ensure that despite time constraints, the core message remains intact.
• Practice makes perfect: Rehearse your presentation multiple times to identify any shortcomings or areas for improvement in your delivery.
• Storytelling mastery: Hone your storytelling abilities. Crafting a well-structured narrative is an art, and a compelling story is memorable. Focus on shaping your presentation to construct a captivating storyline within the allotted time.

How to deliver a Pecha Kucha presentation perfectly?

Your efforts can go to waste if your presentation isn't delivered effectively. So here are a few tips to help you enhance your presentation skills.

• Visual cues: As you prepare your slides, jot down the key points you intend to convey. You should employ visual cues whenever possible, as it becomes easy to retain information if you associate content with images or graphics. You should review your slides to ensure they align with your intended narrative flow. Adjust the presentation's trajectory as needed, enabling these visual cues to guide your focus.
• Avoid scripts: Refrain from relying on scripts or cue cards during your presentation. Depending on such aids might create a disconnect between you and the audience. Instead, familiarize yourself with the overarching story you wish to convey. It's acceptable if your words don't precisely match your planned script. If you miss specific details on a slide, resist the urge to force that information into another slide. Embrace the flow and embrace the storytelling process as it unfolds naturally.
• Repetition is key: Keep in mind the saying, "Practice makes perfect." Rehearse your slides multiple times to achieve mastery. Practice with a friend or family member who can offer constructive feedback similar to that of an audience. Pay close attention during these practice sessions to your timing and the narrative flow of your storyline. This dedicated practice will significantly enhance your presentation readiness.

Creating an effective Pecha Kucha presentation using Prezent

Now, you might be wondering how Prezent, fits into this Pecha Kucha equation. Well, Prezent offers a set of tools and features that can greatly enhance your Pecha Kucha experience.

Using Prezent for your Pecha Kucha presentation offers several significant advantages. First and foremost, Prezent provides a vast library of brand-approved designs that can elevate the visual appeal of your presentation. You can choose from a wide range of professionally designed templates, ensuring that your slides look polished and engaging. Additionally, Prezent facilitates real-time sharing and collaboration, making it easy to work with team members and co-presenters during your Pecha Kucha night. This feature ensures a seamless and synchronized presentation flow, enhancing the overall quality of your delivery.

Managing your Pecha Kucha slides is a breeze with Prezent's document management capabilities. You can easily organize and access all your presentation assets in one place, streamlining your preparation process. For those moments when time is of the essence, Prezent offers an overnight presentation service. You can submit your content, and by the next business day, you'll receive a professionally designed presentation, ready to impress your audience.

Personalization is key in Pecha Kucha, and Prezent allows you to tailor your presentation to your audience's preferences and your brand's identity. With customization options at your fingertips, you can make each slide uniquely yours. Lastly, Prezent ensures 100% compliance with your brand's guidelines, guaranteeing that your Pecha Kucha presentation is on-brand and visually consistent. This feature ensures that your presentation not only captivates but also aligns perfectly with your brand's image.

Ready to create your Pecha Kucha presentation? Try our free trial or book a demo today with Prezent!

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What is the Pecha Kucha 20×20 Presentation Technique?

presentation

presentation technique

Rick Enrico

Salt Lake City

SlideGenius

Feb 13, 2012

Founded by Tokyo-based architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham in 2003 and stylized as PechaKucha 20×20 , this simple presentation technique lets you show 20 images for 20 seconds each, for a running time of about 7 minutes in total.

Pecha Kucha lasts longer than an elevator pitch, which is supposed to be delivered for as long as an elevator ride, and runs shorter than the time Guy Kawasaki suggests in his 10/20/30 rule.

This presentation technique is recommended for more informal gatherings.

The official Pecha Kucha events held around the globe are meant to serve as a social gathering of creative minds and talents. In these gatherings, anyone can pitch their ideas at the event about any topic.

But we’re not suggesting that you talk about random topics during your pitch. Rather, you can utilize the presentation’s unique format to benefit your deck.

Graphic Intensive Pitch

The key difference between Pecha Kucha, an elevator pitch, and the 10/20/30 rule are its limitations.

It’s a time-bound format where you let your presentation play automatically, with each slide running for 20 seconds each.

This means that you can’t go back or skip to the next slide. Compared to an elevator pitch and the 10/20/30 rule, it’s restricted to a self-presenting deck or a time limit per slide.

While the 10/20/30 rule also advocates a limit of 10 slides in 30 minutes, Pecha Kucha runs 20 slide images in 7 minutes.

This means that the latter goes through more slides in a fraction of the time, making Pecha Kucha an image-intensive presentation.

Pecha Kucha 20×20 has been described as a business meeting meets poetic poetry slam, which aren’t far from each other in a way. Both utilize imagery, structure, and analogies to convey their message.

Find the Middle Ground

Pecha Kucha or PechaKucha is perfect if you find elevator pitches too short, and Guy Kawasaki’s 20-minute recommended running time too long.

It’s a completely different challenge to deliver a 20-slide deck for 20 seconds each. You need to rehearse your speech per slide to last exactly for 20 seconds.

Any more and you’ll rush your delivery, any less and you’ll have dead air in your already barebones 7-minute presentation.

Some previous experience in giving presentations and a lot of rehearsals may be required to pull off this style without a hitch.

In addition, using a conversational tone is necessary in order to foster the relaxed atmosphere that this movement started.

A conversational tone lets your audience follow a jargon-free pitch much faster and easier.

Passion is Key to Success

The word pecha – kucha comes from the Japanese word for “chatter”.

The early stages of the gatherings were coined after the conversational atmosphere this type of presentation attracted. The laid back and social aspect of Pecha Kucha events has been the key to its success.

You can translate this to your pitch by showing your enthusiasm through your presentation. Tell your audience that you’re about to do something different today and introduce the Pecha Kucha technique.

Choose powerful images that support the message of your pitch while still remembering to stay within your time limit. Master your topic and engage your audience using a relaxed, conversational tone.

This presentation style develops your ability to be concise with your speech so that you can get straight to the point and improves your rapport with the audience because of its informality.

A Pitch That’s Just Right

Change up your presentation habits and incorporate PechaKucha 20×20 into your pitch. Informal gatherings can benefit from this fun presentation style.

Challenge yourself and entertain your audience by showing them what you can do with 20 slides for 20 seconds each.

Since this is an image-intensive pitch, make sure to pick visuals that stand out. Support your message with your image by providing the right amount of words to say.

Rehearse your words carefully so that you don’t exceed the time limit.

But most of all, have fun while you’re at it. People’s attention gravitate towards speakers who are clearly passionate in what they have to say.

“Frequently Asked Questions.” PechaKucha 20×20 . Accessed December 22, 2015. www.pechakucha.org/faq “Guy Kawasaki – The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint.” Guy Kawasaki . December 30, 2005. Accessed December 22, 2015. http://guykawasaki.com/the_102030_rule Pink, Daniel H. “Pecha Kucha: Get to the PowerPoint in 20 Slides Then Sit the Hell Down.” Wired.com . August 21, 2007. Accessed December 22, 2015. www.wired.com/2007/08/st-pechakucha

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Learn about Pecha Kucha presentation

The following article will put a stop to your never-ending quest for cooler, more effective and more engaging presentations with the popular presentation format called Pecha Kucha, which is a fast, engaging and effective way to deliver succinct and impactful information.

Though there are loads of and ways to communicate your ideas, but the most revolutionary is the  Pecha Kucha  format.

Pecha Kucha is simple layout that asks the speaker to present against a backdrop of twenty slides, each changing every twenty seconds. 

• What is Pecha Kucha
• Why create format

What is Pecha Kucha night?

Creating a pecha kucha presentation.

• Links for reference for Pecha Kucha presentation

What is Pecha Kucha?

Pecha Kucha is a special style of presentation that involves short, powerful messages, where a presenter shows 20 slides for 20 seconds of commentary each (6 minutes and 40 seconds total).

The images advance automatically and you talk in synchrony to the images. Therefore, it’s sometimes called a 20×20 presentation. Since each Pecha Kucha presentation consists of 20 images shown for 20 seconds each – they will auto-advance as a slideshow, so there is no going back, pausing, or skipping around.

 Its translated as “chit-chat” or “the sound of conversation” in Japanese and created by two architects, Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Tokyo’s Klein-Dytham Architecture (KDa ) in 2003 who were inspired by the idea of “talk less, show more”. The first Pecha Kucha Night was held in Tokyo in their gallery/lounge/bar/club/creative kitchen, SuperDeluxe, in February, 2003.

 Klein Dytham architecture still organize and support the global Pecha Kucha Night network and organize Pecha Kucha Night Tokyo. It’s quite similar to a haiku poem in terms of its composition.

Here are few examples of Pecha Kucha presentations https://www.pechakucha.com/presentations

Why create Pecha Kucha format?

Because architects talk too much, like any other creative person, can go on forever once handed over a microphone and images to present.  So the basis of Pecha Kucha is presenting 20 images, each for 20 seconds a piece the kicker is that the slides advance automatically to discourage rambling and to keep the presenter on track. The presentations are concise, specific and powerful.

If you consider some of the downsides of traditional presentations and how easy it is to lose the audience’s interest, the benefits of Pecha Kucha are more apparent. For presenters, the format is predetermined so a lot of the guess work is taken out of building a talk. For the audience, every 20 seconds the slides, and therefore the ideas, advance, meaning it’s easier to stay engaged and attentive.

Here’s a link on how to make efficient use of the time spent on a presentation as of industry standard and you can notice the attention span is decreasing day by day thus Peach Kucha also gaining popularity

Originally started in Tokyo, Pecha Kucha has spread through the idea of the Pecha Kucha Night™, which is a fun and informal gathering where creative people come together and on any topics such as travels, research projects, student projects, hobbies, collections, or other interests in the Pecha Kucha 20×20 format.

These informal get-togethers have reached nearly 700 cities in the world and give anyone a platform to share their work, ideas or whatever they’re passionate about.

 A typical Pecha Kucha Night (PKN) normally includes 8 to 14 presentations. Organizers in some cities have customized their own format.

 For example, in  Groningen, Netherlands, two six-minute, 40-second presentation slots are given to a live band, and the final 20 seconds of each presentation includes an immediate critique of the presentation by the host’s sidekicks.

Another such example of a Pecha Kucha night held in Mumbai is in the link

This is how you can prepare a Pecha Kucha presentation and improve your presentation.

1. Choosing a topic

If you’re a beginner start out with a topic you love or are passionate about. This way not only will your passion shine through your presentation but also motivate you and make it more personal.

Many times, presenters get tempted to choose complicated topics that need so many facts to be explained even before you get to the topic.

 Let’s face it – not everything in this world is simple enough to be explained in less than 7 minutes. But you can simplify your topic, or you can choose another topic that is simple enough to be explained within that time frame.

Once you have chosen a topic, leave out the un-required and focus on your message – you should be able to condense the gist of your entire message in one, simple line. Then elaborate as required.

2. Creating an outline

Once you’ve decided on the topic, you should start with an outline. You can call your outline a structure, a story, etc.

Think about the main points you want to make about it. These will likely guide what your images will be. It’s suggested that you write down the two key points you want to make for each slide and try to stick to that.

 You can make use of paper sheets, PostIt notes, an iPad or tablet, or even Microsoft Word, Evernote, or OneNote. Work with whichever medium makes you feel comfortable, as long as you end up with a rough outline.

Outlining will help streamline your content and focus on the most important points of your message.

3. Creating slides

Once you’re done with outlining, import your outline into PowerPoint or any other slide program. PowerPoint can import outlines to create slides, but even if you do not want to import your outline, you can still create slides from your text content.

Keep it simple without the use of texts, bullet points or facts and figures. You The key point of a successful Pecha Kucha is the strong, impactful and striking images along with the speak over.

Check out this link on how to cut down on texts used in a ppt

4. Images  

Images are the key to an effective Pecha Kucha talk. Try to find images that are illustrations or metaphors of your key points and / or use words as image.

This makes delivery of your presentation much easier, as you’re not trying to race through a list of points. It also makes your presentation more engaging. The images you choose should reinforce your ideas. Make sure your images are high quality and that you have permission to use them. You can reach to professional agency for designing PowerPoint presentation if you are participating in high stake meeting

5. Practice

Practice, practice, practice! That’s the only way to get the presentation to flow like a conversation. Practice really makes the difference and it is okay to have notes.

The best way to get rid of those nerves and build confidence for speaking in front of a group is to practice your presentation several times. You can either learn your speech by heart, word to word or understand the meaning of each slide and talk about it naturally.

Though you may be tempted to fit as much words as possible in the 20 seconds per slide time limit try to keep your voice natural and calm at an appropriate pace with the audience. Remember Pecha Kucha is a space for creativity.

Links for reference  

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PechaKucha
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq1Jnx51pW0
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32WEzM3LFhw

• PowerPoint and Presenting Stuff

Ten Easy Topics for Pecha Kucha

We have so many interactive and communicative visitors on Indezine.com. They get in touch via email, or the feedback forms, or via our chat applet, and even through our LinkedIn and Facebook communities. One question that has come up often is about topics for Pecha Kucha presentations. So I decided to do something about these questions by writing this post about easy topics for Pecha Kucha presentations.

See Also: 10 Tips for Pecha Kucha | Pecha Kucha Questions

Let’s start with wondering about why do readers ask for topic ideas? Why not choose something that’s close to their heart or something that inspires them? That’s because Pecha Kucha presentations are not your typical PowerPoint slide decks. In fact, there’s no rule in Pecha Kucha that dictates you must use PowerPoint. As long as you have twenty slides, it does not matter if you are using PowerPoint, Keynote, Prezi, Google Slides, a PDF, or even a program that advances photographs. Just remember that these presentations are limited to twenty slides that show up for only twenty seconds each. And the presenter must speak all along, while the slides are showing and changing.

The second reason people ask for topic ideas is that this might be their first Pecha Kucha presentation, and they are not sure what will work, and what won’t.

Yes, it is a good idea to use a simple topic, and it helps if the topic is something you are excited about. The Pecha Kucha site says, “The key to a great presentation is to present something you love.”

But what are simple topics, that excite you, and are interesting to your audiences? Of course, if you already have a topic, you need not read further, but if you are still looking for ideas, here are ten easy topics that you can use for your Pecha Kucha presentations.

1. Share Travel Experiences

Did you get back from an around-the-world trip, or did you go to Antarctica? Or did you do something more simpler, like a sightseeing trip around your own town, or a little more amazing, like a visit to the Great Wall of China or the Taj Mahal in India? Yes, you can show photos, but more importantly, show photos about your experiences while traveling, and speak about those experiences.

Talk about your fears during your travels, and how you overcame them. Was there something surprising that happened–something you never imagined? Did you meet a close friend unexpectedly in a place halfway around the globe? See, any of these travel experiences will interest people, if they are accompanied by some great visuals. But make sure that you don’t get into too much detail because you only have twenty seconds for each slide. And audiences only want to see the larger picture–they don’t want to know about every small detail!

For slides, use pictures that you clicked on your vacation. If you are not the camera-happy type, you can try to get shareable pictures from sites such as Flickr. See our Searching Flickr for Creative Commons Pictures page to learn more.

2. Talk Food

If there’s something audiences love more than travel, it’s got to be food. Why? That’s because rather than traveling around the world, food can make the world travel to your table.

If you love to cook, you can share your favorites, and by favorites, this could be just names of your favorite foods with pictures. You want to share entire recipes? Wait, there may not be too much time to share entire recipes, unless you use all twenty slides for just one recipe–and that’s a great idea too. You can then talk about the ingredients, the preparation, the cooking, and the eating.

You can also talk about what recipes you like to cook, and why? Are the ingredients interesting? Or did you invent these recipes? Or are they family recipes handed down through generations?

If you identify yourself more as someone who enjoys eating more than cooking, then you can share a list of your favorite restaurants, and what you like to eat when you go there.

Of course, the food theme has so many more possibilities: you can take about making candy, your success with vegan meals, your discovery of Japanese cuisine, or the herbs you grow in a kitchen garden. As long as you are passionate about food in some way, you already have an amazing topic for your next Pecha Kucha presentation.

So what do you stay away from? Avoid talking too much about violent food, especially if you know your audience has a fair share of vegans and vegetarians. Never show pictures of killed animals, and if some food is not allowed as per customs of a particular religion, you may want to avoid that topic too.

Pictures for food are so easy to click, find, or discover. Just click what you eat at home, whatever you cook, or anything you order at a restaurant. Pictures clicked with your camera phone are usually good enough, as long as you present the food aesthetically.

3. Emotions, and Controlling Them

Does any one emotion scare you, or have you found a way to control that emotion? Which emotions? These could be something that you want to control such as fear, jealousy, anger, greed, or any number of other emotions. But then there are positive emotions too that you can talk about, such as caring, happiness, laughter, love (including parenting), and more. Of course, there’s no need to control the positive emotions as much.

With negative emotions, you can devote a few slides about how they come about in people, their disadvantages, and ways to control them.

With positive emotions, you can talk about why they are opposites of negative emotions, and how they can benefit others–and you too.

Clearly, each emotion has so much information available to be shared, that you will have to stop when you have content that is sufficient for twenty slides.

Also, it’s better to not go into too much detail about emotions, and also don’t fall into the trap of sharing too much about yourself in a Pecha Kucha presentation, because not everyone in the audience is your best friend.

Finding pictures about emotions can be the easiest, and also the most difficult! Why? That’s because it’s easy to find pictures about common emotions such as happiness or grief. But complex emotions such as anger or greed are different–how many pictures of angry people can you show? And greed is relative as a subject because one person’s necessity may be another’s indulgence. In such cases, you will have to weave a story and look at situations where these emotions show up. You can also use plain text, such as quotations for such slides, although you’ll have to restrict such quotations to just a few slides.

4. Looking at the Future

This is a fun topic, and you can let your imagination soar. What about how air travel will function forty years from now? Or how kitchen gadgets will change in the next hundred years?

Or how will changes in electricity, phones, make-up, books, or even security change the society in the next ten, twenty, or thirty years? This type of topic is great because you are only limited by your imagination–and audiences love to explore the future along with you.

You may have a tough time finding visuals that correspond to your imagination. You can therefore doodle on paper, and then scan or photograph your doodles, that can become slides for your Pecha Kucha presentation.

5. Explore Satire

OK, this is not everyone’s cup of tea. But if satire is close to your heart, it can be a great topic for a Pecha Kucha presentation. Make sure you identify that you are using satire right at the beginning, so that your audience can consume your content in the right spirit.

Try to make some fun of yourself too, rather than always poking fun at others–this approach will balance your content. Also, there’s no need to be overly mean or sarcastic. Keep your satire fairly simple. After all, how much complicated can you get in twenty seconds?

Visuals for satire slides can include photographs and cartoons, and you may want to source your visual content from copyright free resources such as Creative Commons or Public Domain repositories.

6. Explain What You Do

How many times have you delivered a presentation for business reasons that tells audiences about what you do, or what your company does? Now what if you were to spin those same slides, and make them a lot less formal? What if you were to remove anything that cannot be shared outside your business, and replace that with fun experiences and even mistakes that taught you lessons? Won’t that make a very interesting Pecha Kucha presentation?

So why not just follow this option, and create an unusual slide deck that explains what you do, but not to business partners or clients! Imagine you have to explain what you do to your ninety-year old grandmother and to a ten-year old nephew–both at the same time? Won’t such an audience give you an excuse to add more pictures? Well, that’s exactly what you need in a Pecha Kucha presentation.

You can click a bunch of selfies and use them here, and even use some of your old pictures. You can share pictures of locations where you worked as long as you are not breaking any copyright rules, and also use anything you please, as long as you believe that you would find these pictures interesting if you were a part of the audience?

7. Create a Picture Show About Your Hobby

Do you collect stamps or fruit boxes? Do you enjoy embroidery or video-gaming? Is astrology something you love, or maybe shopping is something you excel at? People have so many hobbies, and the stranger your hobby is, the more interested your audience will be to hear more about it. You can talk about what got you started, why you continued, and why you plan to follow along your hobby for years to come.

And then talk about whether your family loves your hobby or hates it, whether they encourage you or not, and share a funny story that involves your hobby.

The best part about doing a presentation about your hobby is that the content you want to show is right there with you–and you can often click pictures of your collectibles at home. If you have an outdoors hobby, make sure to take your camera along when you stepping out on hobby-time. And if your hobby is photography, then you already have enough visual content.

8. Talk about Pets

Everyone loves pets, because pet-owners want to know more about pets of other people. And those who are not pet-owners want to know what make you so passionate about your pet. Either way, this is a very successful topic because it’s easy to share simple experiences with your pets in a few words, that fits within a single slide; and you can also share a longer experiences across multiple slides.

While talking about dogs and cats can be interesting, talking about uncommon pets may be more interesting for audiences because everyone wants to hear about something they have never experienced, and audiences want to relive those experiences, along with you.

If you have pets, you most certainly have many pictures of them.

9. Ten, Fifteen, or Twenty

If you find everything difficult, the easiest answer is to create a list of “ten, fifteen, or twenty” best or worst of anything and use that info to create a Pecha Kucha presentation. What about ten favorite songs, twenty favorite movies, or something more exotic like fifteen poisonous plants?

If your list has ten items, you can dedicate two slides per item. If you choose fifteen, you can use the extra five slides to add an intro and conclusion. If your list has twenty items, you get one slide per item.

Such lists can also include inspirational quotes about a particular topic.

For visuals, use anything you like such as pictures, doodles, newspaper clippings, quotes, charts, tables, and even maps–or combine them all together as long as you respect copyrights. Learn more in our Picture Copyrights page.

10. Talk About What Not to Do

OK, here’s your chance to hand out to wisdom to unsuspecting folks. Show your most intelligent facial expression, and share wisdom. Really? Is that even a real suggestion on this list? Yes indeed, but that’s only half the story. Here’s the other half we never told you about: the key to success in such presentations is to show your human self and admit that you have made many mistakes in your life, but you learned from those mistakes, and will now share your wisdom with others.

Every human is different, and is also a subject-matter expert in some sphere. To attain that expertise, you must have made mistakes and must have used those mistakes as stepping stones to success. Talk about those stepping stones, and tell your audience about the mistakes they can avoid.

Visuals for such presentations need to be calm and not overly colorful. Use scenery that shows dawn or dusk.

Topics To Stay Away From

As with anything else, stay away from religion, sex, and politics because almost anyone can attend a Pecha Kucha presentation. You should therefore stay away from any topic that could be minutely controversial.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.

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Pecha Kucha Presentation Template

Download a free Pecha Kucha presentation template to save you time and frustration. Now, all you need to do is put your content on it. We’ve done the rest for you.

What is a Pecha Kucha-style presentation?

Pecha Kucha is a style that relies on concision and also brevity. The numbers of slides that are used on it are limited and thus a presenter is forced to ensure that the content that he/she is presenting is streamlined well. You will not just wake up one day and make the slides and go and present, that won’t work out for you. Pecha will force you to get out here and prepare first, get used to your presentation, and practice well before getting it out to the audience.

Remember that one feature that it has that you won’t find anywhere is that, it has no option of skipping or even going back. Forward ever is the slung that is used here. Once a slide has gone it has gone. If you want to get it, then you have to go to the end before starting afresh.

This style is also a unique one as it uses visual presentations of single powerful images. The striking visuals will captivate the audience positively. It has been found that when using visuals people are immediately captivated. However, when you use written words it takes a little longer.

What is the Pecha Kucha format?

This is a format that uses slides or images that are displayed at an interval of 20 seconds each. The slides are 20 in number and move automatically as the presenter is presenting his/her work and speaking. The format is unique as it ensures that the presenter is concise and moves through the presentation without having to click the next slides, or without having a person that controls them. You can download a free Pecha Kucha template below. It is in PPT format and each of the slides is already timed. All you need to do is to add your content to each slide.

The presentation should be precise and the speaker should synchronize the presentation well. The presentation is also seen to take exactly 6 minutes and 40 seconds. That means accuracy will be highly adhered to.

How do you make a Pecha Kucha Presentation?

The easiest way is to use our free Pecha Kucha template which has 20 slides that are timed to show for 20 seconds each.

Click on the button above to download the free pecha style presentation in Powerpoint format.

Tips to make a great Pecha Kucha presentation

Take or choose a topic that you love.

If you get something that you don’t understand it will give you some headache to present it from your head. But if you choose a topic that you love most and have expertise in, you can be sure of your passion shining throughout the presentation.

Don’t always be like the rest, be different by having something extra to say

Be unique in your different way to make your presentation better. At least try to pick something different from what others are talking about.

If it’s a thesis, keep it simple

Talks in this forum are always short and there is no time for everything that you want to talk about. Your topic should be narrow enough to be covered within the time frame given.

Choose the main points

With the topic in mind, you can now think about the points that will guide you. It is appropriate to remember the rule of doing 3 main points in each slide with 3 examples.

Have a flow of work

You can tell a story in a great way that will draw your audience to want more. Start with a personal anecdote or you can decide to have it incorporated in your presentation. That makes the presentation to be personal.

Arrange and outline slides

For easy presentation, it is advised that you make at least 20 slides that are outlined well visually. Add text to the slides and see how they will flow. Don’t combine ideas into one, separate them.

Don’t make the slides complex

Simplicity is key here for easy audience understanding. Don’t jam images in the slides. Having one slide with one image is better than filling the whole screen with multiple images. This is not good because it will make the screen look busy for use in 20 seconds.

Slide timing adjustment

The time you spend talking about a slide is very important. You might find that you have more time to talk about one slide than another. If that’s the case, you will need to split up the side that has more time. For the one that you use less time, it can be incorporated into another.

Your work will not be better at all if you don’t go through and even practice your presentations. Practice will help you see where you have downfalls so that you adjust accordingly. Reviewing your work slightly before presenting will also make sure that you can remember most of the work before the actual presentation.

Once the presentation starts, keep going

You will have to learn to speed up or adjust your speed accordingly as the presentation progresses. Don’t get stuck in one slide and you have 5seconds to go but you can stop on an important point when you want to increase its importance. Once you have started, there is no stopping. If by accident you flip on your words, don’t worry and cause alarm to yourself, get over it and keep going to the last slide.

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What is a Pecha Kucha?

A Pecha Kucha presentation is one of the best ways I’ve experienced to build team trust quickly. Knowing who our co-workers are, outside of their work lives, enables us to connect over who we are as individuals. This trust tool is a favorite of mine: I share it almost every time I speak and I’ve blogged about it here . In a nutshell, a Pecha Kucha is simply a personal slide show.

Making your own Pecha Kucha is easy. The two main things to remember are (1) images only, and (2) ten slides timed at ten seconds a piece. Keeping the presentations short preserves everyone’s engagement & interest, and ensures everyone gets their turn. To maximize getting to know each other, don’t include anything about work; the images should be about your life outside of work. (You’ll have plenty of opportunity at work to get to know each other as working professionals. This is a chance to learn about hobbies, home life and things that normally don’t come up in work conversation.)

Download a Pecha Kucha template

The easiest way to get started is to download my template and replace my pictures with yours.

How to make a Pecha Kucha in PowerPoint

To start from scratch, follow these step-by-step instructions.

• Gather your digital pictures and decide in which order you want to assemble them.
• Open a new blank presentation in PowerPoint.
• Insert a new blank slide by clicking “New Slide” in the Home menu. Delete the title slide that appeared when you opened PowerPoint by right clicking on the thumbnail of the title slide and selecting “Delete.” Remember that a Pecha Kucha is all images – no words. All of your slides will be created from the blank template.
• Open the “Transitions” menu. In the Timing window select the “After” box and enter 10 seconds. Deselect “On Mouse Click.”
• Insert your picture(s) by selecting the “Insert” menu. Click “Pictures” and choose your digital file.
• Continue to create new blank slides and inserting your digital images until you’ve created 10 slides this way.
• Practice what you want to explain about each slide. 10 seconds is short!

You can learn about an online creation/sharing tool (currently in beta) here .

We’d love to hear about your Pecha Kucha experiences and how this works for you! Send your comments or questions to [email protected]

Go Beyond the Pecha Kucha

Pecha Kucha’s are a fantastic way to build relationships in your workplace–here are some other free tools you can use to boost productivity and creativity on your teams:

• Express specific gratitude by using Appreciate Cards
• Encourage your colleagues to tap into their strengths more often at work with Strength Spotting Cards
• Boost morale  and encourage productivity by savoring and celebrating progress made each day with I Did It Lists .

To purchase tools that build team and individual productivity and happiness, visit our Shop . 

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Best Online Examples of Pecha Kucha Presentations Templates

Pecha Kucha is a presentation format from Japan. Each slide lasts 20 seconds; it means a 20-slide presentation without any time for questions. People are regularly asked to present insights and information in an unorthodox way. Presentation templates, like these best online examples of Pecha Kucha presentations, can bridge the gap between school and work , helping us organize our thoughts better while the audience pays attention.

This blog post contains the best online examples of Pecha Kucha presentation templates , which will help you present your presentation in a limited time. Here we go!

1. Cartoon Education Presentation template

This accessible children's PowerPoint presentation template features illustrations of children playing and a wide-open blue sky with fluffy clouds. You can download and easily edit.

2. Staff Style Annual Meeting Presentation Template

This format has many examples, including examples for a cartoon about preschool education and an annual meeting display. You will find some of these templates on WPS templates. You can see them, pick the style you like, download it, and start making your presentation quickly.

3. The Universal Presentation For Teacher Template

If you want to do a universal presentation, the universal presentation for teacher template is a great template to follow. Remember to include copious images in your slides and give each slide a theme—you'll be set!

4. Pink and Blue Simple Presentation Template

Use this pink and blue simple presentation template to highlight the different aspects of your presentation. They are universal and do not depend on a specific industry. Make your presentation easy to follow and to follow along with!

5. Simple Cartoon Presentation For Minimalist Template

Enjoy the fun and creativity of a simple cartoon presentation for the minimalist template. Remember to use your presentation as a tool to bring light to your idea and audience through creativity.

6. Pink and Blue Fresh Education Presentation Template

The pink and blue fresh education presentation template has a simple and creative background. It is easily downloaded and edited according to your need for presentation.

7. Green Fashional Summary Presentation Template

. The green fashionable summary presentation template is the best example of Pecha Kucha templates. If necessary, you can also append your presentation with an opening, closing, and call to action slide. In addition, you can also have a choice of lifestyle, art, or current event as your opening slide.

8. Abstract Colorful Education Presentation Template

Every Pecha Kucha presentation is unique, as it starts at a different time as well as with different sizes of slides. However, the abstract colorful education presentation template has all the content format you need to add.

9. Fresh Plant Education Presentation Template

A fresh plant education presentation template can help you concentrate on your presentation's content instead of worrying about the presentation itself. Template designs are also helpful to ensure your presentation stays consistent, so audiences can focus on your message rather than the format of your presentation.

10. Fresh Japanese Presentation Template

You can download the PPT of the Fresh Japnese Education Presentation template for free in WPS Template. Easily edit and improve work efficiency using the free PPT template. You effortlessly customize this template.

There are several great ideas and suggestions for creating presentation templates on the Internet. You can make the perfect presentation by following one of these best online examples of Pecha Kucha presentations and creating something unique and creative to suit your needs. Download the WPS office, and you will find several Pecha Kucha templates except for the templates mentioned above.

• 1. Free examples of oral presentations
• 2. 10 Unique Pecha Kucha Presentation Templates for your Next Presentation
• 3. Top Pecha Kucha presentation examples
• 4. Pecha Kucha Presentation Example Download
• 5. 10 Power Point presentations examples of education creative and unique templates
• 6. Good PowerPoint Presentations Examples Online

15 years of office industry experience, tech lover and copywriter. Follow me for product reviews, comparisons, and recommendations for new apps and software.