20 Slides. 20 Seconds. 1 Takeaway.

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Say More with Less

A few weeks ago, I attended my very first PechaKucha Night, which is a rapid-fire storytelling format where each presenter gets 20 slides automatically timed at 20 seconds each. You have exactly 6 minutes and 40 seconds to make your message stick.

Dirk and I were there to support Chris, the husband of our brilliant friend and creative educator Erin Huizenga. Watching him step onto that stage, share a personal story, and captivate a room full of strangers with poise, humor, and clarity was truly inspiring.

Here’s what I appreciated about Chris’s approach:

⏰ Embraced constraints.
Chris focused on what mattered most. No fluff, just story.

📖 Prepared with intention.
Each slide had a clear purpose supporting the story and keeping the audience engaged from start to finish.

😀 Designed to enhance.
The visuals were great reminder that good design is felt, not forced.

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Why It Matters

When you invest in experiential branding, you’re not just making things look good today, but you’re shaping how your audience will remember you for years to come or in this case the next 20 seconds.

🔵 Visual memory is powerful.

People retain around 65% of information paired with visuals after three days, versus just ~10% for spoken or text-only content. (Heretto)

🔵 Consistent branding boosts visibility.

Companies that maintain cohesive brand visuals and messaging are about 3.5 × more likely to achieve strong brand visibility. (Brandemic)

🔵 Short formats make learning stick.

PechaKucha’s 20×20 format (20 slides at 20 seconds) helps presenters concentrate on core ideas, engage audiences, and teach more effectively in limited time. (Faculty Focus)

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Short on time? Make it count.