Pecha Kucha is a new style of presenting that has specific rules. These rules are
designed to foster your creativity by establishing clear parameters for the
presentation. Lots of examples of Pecha Kucha exist online, and are a useful resource
for those folks seeking to break out of the horrible cycle of mind dulling
Powerpoints. While you will probably need to read further to explore and understand
this new creative style of presenting, we will follow the guidelines below:
20 slides….20 seconds each. 6 minutes, 40 seconds total.
There are some Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to Pecha Kucha. This information
comes from the blog, Remixing the Humanities, by Richard Edwards:
Don’t use too much text
1. Avoid bullet points
2. Avoid reading directly from the slides
3. Avoid images that don’t advance your topic or contribute meaningful visual
information
4. Avoid text-images relations that would take more than 20 seconds to digest (i.e.
overly crowded slides will be a blur in a Pecha Kucha, unless you want to
intentionally create a sense of “blur”)
5. While a consistent slide design is good, avoid most PowerPoint templates.
Neutral backgrounds and easy to read sans serif fonts are best.
Here’s what you should consider in a good Pecha Kucha:
1. Consider your 20 slides as 20 panels in a graphic storyline. How do your 20
“panels” flow together to create a cohesive statement or a consistent through-
line.
2. Consider the impact of text on your audience – Is there a single word or a short
phrase that captures the essence of what you are saying in that 20 second time
span? Frequently, a single word can be used metonymically — to “stand in” for
your entire 20 seconds of information.
3. Consider your images very carefully. In a Pecha Kucha, images are frequently
the only information on the entire slide. Yes, visual data is just as valuable as
textual data. A well-chosen picture is likely worth a thousand words. Why did you
select that image? Did you manipulate an image you found to make it even more
compelling and precise? Would it be better if you cropped the image? Is this
image easy to substitute for another image? If so, have you truly considered why
you selected this image and not the other one? How does this image connect to
other images in your slide set?
4. Don’t use slide transitions. Use direct cuts from slide to slide. Avoid all dissolves,
and clever transitions like “curtains” or “barn doors.”
5. Avoid sounds or video clips. There just isn’t time, and these features are just
distracting in a Pecha Kucha. Your voice is your sound instrument in this
presentation.
6. What is your design style? What is connecting these 20 panels? Is there a similar
textual strategy? A consistent visual design? Are you playing with or against
audience expectations? Have you completely considered the arrangement of
these 20 slides? Would your presentation change dramatically if the slide order
was reversed, or changed in any way? If so, why did you select the order that
you did?
7. Rehearse your spoken remarks. 20 seconds is an amazing short period of time.
Most students who do not practice end up speed-talking as the slides change
over. A good Pecha Kucha is not about talking faster or talking over the wrong
slide. Timing is of the essence of a good Pecha Kucha. Practice really helps. You
will set the slideshow on automatic advance, so the slide will change in 20
seconds even if you don’t finish your remarks. Think about how your slides and
your spoken remarks match up. They are two parts of a whole, and a successful
Pecha Kucha is both well designed and well spoken. In many ways, you should
consider yourself a performer, and you are attempting to deliver a compelling
erformance.
To find out more about Pecha Kucha, you’ll want to start by exploring the following sites:
http://www.pechakucha.org/
http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/challenging-the-presentation-paradigm-in-6-
minutes-40-seconds-pecha-kucha/22807
http://remixhumanities.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/pecha-kucha-in-the-classroom-tips-
and-strategies-for-better-presentations/
http://avoision.com/pechakucha/guide-to-making-a-pecha-kucha-presentation-slide-
design
Source: https://ed270week3.weebly.com/pecha-kucha-presentations.html
