The Art of Explanation - Making Your Ideas, Products and Services Easier to Understand

1. Explanation is an art that can be learned and mastered

Explanation is an art. Although there are tools, tactics and ideas that help, we all explain differently, and that is the beauty of it.

Explanation as a skill. Explanation is not a science with rigid rules, but an art form that can be developed and refined. Like any art, it thrives on creativity and unique approaches. The key is to recognize explanation as a vital communication skill that can be improved with practice and intention.

Universal application. Everyone explains ideas daily, from casual conversations to professional presentations. By focusing on improving explanation skills, we can enhance our ability to communicate effectively in all areas of life. This book provides tools and strategies to help readers become better explainers, ultimately leading to clearer communication and better understanding for all parties involved.

2. The Explanation Scale: A tool for visualizing understanding

The Explanation Scale is a simple way to think about moving your audience from one point to another.

Visual understanding tool. The Explanation Scale is a simple yet powerful concept that helps visualize the journey from less understanding to more understanding. It's represented as a line from A to Z, where A represents little to no understanding, and Z represents complete comprehension.

Practical application. By plotting your audience's current understanding on this scale, you can:

• Identify knowledge gaps
• Tailor your explanation to their needs
• Track progress as you move them towards greater understanding
• Adjust your approach based on where they are on the scale

This tool helps explainers avoid the curse of knowledge and ensures that explanations start at the right level for the audience.

3. Context is crucial for effective explanations

Context matters in this example—the right context.

Building a foundation. Context provides the necessary background information that allows an audience to make sense of new ideas. It's the "forest" that gives meaning to the "trees" of specific information. Without proper context, even the most accurate facts can seem confusing or irrelevant.

Creating agreement. Effective context often starts with non-controversial statements that the audience can easily agree with. This creates a shared foundation and invites the audience to engage with the explanation. For example:

• "We can all agree that health care costs are rising."
• "Everyone wants to feel confident in their financial decisions."
• "Technology is changing how we communicate at work."

By establishing this common ground, explainers can then build on these agreed-upon ideas to introduce new concepts more effectively.

4. Storytelling brings explanations to life

Facts give stories substance. Stories give facts meaning.

Human connection. Stories provide a human wrapper for facts and ideas, making them more relatable and memorable. By following a character's experience or journey, audiences can see themselves in the situation and better understand how the explained concept applies to real life.

Structure for storytelling. A simple yet effective story structure for explanations:

1. Meet [character], they're like you
2. [Character] has a problem that makes them feel bad
3. [Character] discovers a solution and tries it
4. Now [Character] feels good
5. Don't you want to feel like [Character]?

This format helps audiences connect emotionally with the explanation and see the practical application of the idea being explained.

5. Connections make new ideas relatable

If we can connect an old, easily understood idea to something new, we can help the audience feel confident that they can understand the new idea.

Building on existing knowledge. Connections, often in the form of analogies, link new concepts to ideas the audience already understands. This approach reduces the cognitive load required to grasp new information and increases confidence in understanding.

Examples of effective connections:

• "Jaws in Space" to explain the movie Alien
• E-mail as "letters via computers" for someone unfamiliar with technology
• The magazine subscription analogy for explaining new health care plans

By leveraging these connections, explainers can help their audience quickly grasp complex ideas by relating them to familiar concepts.

6. Simplification is key to clear explanations

To get to the core, you can use the aforementioned guidelines like a machete to hack away at all the extraneous knowledge that causes complexity.

Cutting through complexity. Simplification involves identifying the core idea and stripping away unnecessary details. This process requires a deep understanding of the subject and the ability to prioritize what information is truly essential for the audience's comprehension.

Guidelines for simplification:

• Do not make assumptions about what people already know
• Use the most basic language possible
• Zoom out and try to see the subject from the broadest perspective
• Forget the details and exceptions and focus on big ideas
• Be willing to trade accuracy for understanding
• Connect the basic ideas to ideas the audience already understands

Remember, the goal is not to "dumb down" the information, but to make it accessible and understandable to a wider audience.

7. Visuals enhance understanding and retention

A simple curve, drawn without artistic expression, is all it takes to give your audience a way to understand and remember an idea that words may not be able to capture.

Power of visual thinking. Visuals can often convey complex ideas more effectively than words alone. They provide a tangible representation of abstract concepts, making them easier to grasp and remember. You don't need to be an artist to use visuals effectively in explanations.

Types of visuals for different problems:

• Who/What: Portraits (stick figures, simple representations)
• How Much: Charts and graphs
• When: Timelines
• Where: Maps and diagrams
• How: Flowcharts and process diagrams
• Why: Multi-variable plots

By incorporating these simple visual elements, explainers can significantly enhance the clarity and memorability of their explanations.

8. Choose the right medium for your message

Medium matters.

Matching message to medium. The effectiveness of an explanation depends not just on its content, but also on how it's presented. Different media have different strengths and weaknesses, and choosing the right one can significantly impact how well your message is received and understood.

Considerations for choosing media:

• Audience preferences and constraints (e.g., time, technology access)
• Complexity of the information
• Need for interactivity or real-time feedback
• Desired emotional impact
• Potential for sharing and distribution

Options include text, images, audio, video, live demonstrations, and various combinations of these. The key is to select the medium that best supports your explanation goals and meets your audience's needs.

9. Constraints liberate and focus explanations

It seems paradoxical that constraints liberate, but I believe it's true.

Embracing limitations. Constraints, rather than limiting creativity, can actually enhance it by providing focus and direction. They force explainers to prioritize the most important information and find creative ways to convey it within the given parameters.

Types of helpful constraints:

• Time limits (e.g., 3-minute video, 5-slide presentation)
• Word count restrictions
• Visual style guidelines (e.g., Common Craft's paper cut-out style)
• Audience characteristics (e.g., technical knowledge, language proficiency)
• Medium limitations (e.g., audio-only podcast, text-based email)

By working within these constraints, explainers can create more focused, impactful explanations that are tailored to their audience and purpose.

10. Explanations should make others feel smart

Explanations make facts more understandable, and the need for explanations becomes clear once you think about how many important facts are out there.

Shifting focus. The goal of explanation is not to demonstrate the explainer's intelligence, but to help the audience feel smart and confident in their understanding. This shift in perspective changes how we approach explanations, focusing on the audience's needs rather than showcasing our own knowledge.

Strategies for audience-centered explanations:

• Start with what the audience already knows
• Use familiar language and concepts
• Provide clear, relatable examples
• Break down complex ideas into manageable chunks
• Encourage questions and engagement
• Celebrate small wins in understanding along the way

By prioritizing the audience's comprehension and confidence, explainers can create more effective and impactful explanations that truly serve their purpose of increasing understanding.

Last updated: February 4, 2025