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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.
Contents
- 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
What is Pecha Kucha night?
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
Creating a Pecha Kucha presentation
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.