In this way, running and explanation have much in common: We have the ability to do it We may do it so frequently that we never think about it We think the way in which we do it is normal We never consider that we could improve the way we do it, but, Improvement is possible, and creates positive results 

 

Description — A description is a direct account of an action, person, event, and so on in which the intent is to help someone imagine something through words. For example, if I describe my coffee mug, my intent is to provide details that help you picture it. A description may relate that a mug is white, four inches tall, has a single curved handle, and is made of ceramic. Definition — A definition is a description of the precise and literal meaning of something. A definition is meant to make clear exactly what something means. If I define a word, I am providing statements that help you see the exact meaning of the word. I might define coffee as a beverage that is made from roasted and ground seeds of the coffee plant.

 

Instruction — An instruction is a direction or order to do something. The intent of instruction is to make clear what is expected and how to proceed. If I give you instructions on how to make coffee, I am laying out the exact process or sequence of events that are required to achieve the desired outcome. Instructions may be related in short sentences such as: Insert filter into coffee maker. Pour ground coffee into filter. Pour water into coffee maker reservoir. Press start. 

 

Elaboration — An elaboration is a presentation of information with detail, with the intent to provide a comprehensive and rigorous look at a concept, idea, theory, and so on. If I elaborate on the core concepts of coffee production, I will try to cover every detail. If I elaborate on the farming of coffee, I may describe the specific content of the soil in which it is grown, how to test the soil, and what levels of nitrogen will produce the best product for a specific geographic region.

 

Report — A report is a spoken or written account of an event and is intended to relay facts and details to others. If I visit coffee plantations in Colombia, I will report my experiences upon my return. This may appear in the form of a news story or magazine article and relate an account such as: “The moment I arrived at the plantation, I was offered a sample of their finest product, which I drank with joy. The company roasted the beans just a mile away, and you could smell the roasting beans in the air.”

 

Illustration — An illustration is an example that serves to clarify an idea. The intent of an illustration is to help make an idea more real by providing an example. I might say that the size of the plantation is an illustration of the coffee company's power in the region. 

 

I am fond of the current Wikipedia version (Wikipedia, 2012): An explanation is a set of statements constructed to describe a set of facts which clarifies the causes, context and consequences of those facts. 

 

... empathy. Great explainers have the ability to picture themselves in another person's shoes and communicate from that perspective. 

 

Only by seeing the world through the windshield of a driver in a foreign land can we ever hope to help them feel at home. 

 

It is more difficult to make sense of facts alone, which is why we need explanations. Explanations make facts more understandable, and the need for explanations becomes clear once you think about how many important facts are out there. 

 

Explanation is a powerful asset in a world of constant change; because it can lower the cost of understanding, it invites people to participate in a variety of new topics. 

 

The art of explanation is the art of transforming facts into a more understandable package. 

 

Explanation is the art of not just packaging facts but presenting them in a way that answers the question “why?” — as in, why does it make sense to do this? Or why should I care? 

 

Explanation is not focused on facts, laws, or specifics. Explanation is the art of showing why the facts, laws, and specifics make sense. 

 

And that is the key point: explanations are packages of ideas that help people feel confident in choosing to learn more because they care about the idea. 

 

Caring is the first step: if an explanation can help that person start to care, the rest is much easier. 

 

For example, Craik (1943) described explanation as “a kind of distance-receptor in time, which enables organisms to adapt themselves to situations that are about to arise.” Heider (1958) suggested that we explain events in order to relate them to more general processes, allowing us 

 

“to attain a stable environment and have the possibility of controlling it.” In other words, explanations put us in a better position to predict and control the future. Gopnik (2000) provocatively compares explanation to orgasm, suggesting that the phenomenological satisfaction of explanation is our evolutionarily provided incentive to engage in theory formation, as orgasm is to reproduction. 

 

Perhaps surprisingly, generating explanations can be a more effective mechanism for learning than receiving explanation. This phenomenon has been demonstrated in the context of peer tutoring, where tutors often profit more than tutees 

 

The learning benefit of engaging in explanation  —  be it to oneself or to others — is known as the self-explanation effect 

 

and has been found for preschoolers through adults, for a range of educational materials, and for both declarative and procedural knowledge 

 

In a typical experiment, one group of participants is prompted to explain to themselves as they study an expository text or worked examples, such as math problems. These participants are compared with those in one or more control groups who study the same material without the prompt to explain, often with an alternative task (e.g., thinking aloud) or matched for study time. The typical finding is that participants who explain outperform their nonexplaining peers on a posttest, with the greatest benefit for transfer problems that require going beyond the material presented. 

 

The shared language becomes part of the workplace culture, and makes it more important and productive. However, it can also become a curse. 

 

A single word can make your explanation fail because it lowers confidence. One word has the power to move someone from interest to disinterest. 

 

Explanations fail when we are unable to translate the language of our work to the language of a possibly uninformed audience. 

 

it was ineffective because its goal was to make her look smart, instead of helping others feel smart. This became the real lesson, and in the future, Dipika concentrated on impressing experts by her ability to help everyone in the room feel smarter. 

 

A skilled explainer learns to see the intent behind the question and formulate an answer that focuses on understanding instead of efficiency. They answer questions like “What is this?” as if the question was, “Why should I care about this?” 

 

The idea of packaging works because packages have limits. 

 

Packaging ideas is a simple process that requires the person presenting ideas to account for the audience's needs. And because every audience and idea is different, there are innumerable ways to package ideas. However, they all focus on a few important elements:

 

Agreement — Agreement builds confidence from the very first sentence. It is accomplished through big-picture statements that most people will recognize. These are ideas about which you can say something like, “We can all agree that gas prices are rising.” 

 

Context — Context moves the points we have agreed upon into a specific place. It gives the audience a foundation for the explanation and lets them know why it should matter to them. For instance, you could say, “More of your hard earned income is going to pay for transportation.”

 

Story — Story applies the big ideas to a narrative that shows a person who experiences a change in perspective and the emotions that accompany that change. “Meet Sally; she's tired of paying so much for gas and needs alternatives. Here's what she found.”

 

Connections — Connections often accompany a story and are analogies and metaphors that connect new ideas to something people already understand. “Sally could see that taking the bus was like multitasking because she could work and commute at the same time.”

 

Descriptions — Descriptions are direct communications that are more focused on how versus why. “Sally found that she could save more than $20 a week by taking the bus three times weekly.”

 

Conclusion — Conclusion wraps up the package with a summary of what was learned and provides a next step with a focus on the audience. “The next time gas prices get you down, remember…” 

 

Our ideas may be useful, actionable, and informative, but without context, they are limited. If they exist without a foundation or connection to other ideas, they are isolated, and that isolation limits their potential. 

 

As the consultant explains, the cost of building context is low because it doesn't create a negative experience for anyone; it simply validates their knowledge or helps them feel confident. The cost of context is low and the benefits are high. 

 

Using context effectively is one of the most powerful skills for an explainer because it is an invitation to stay engaged, see value, and be impressed. 

 

The idea is to start an explanation by creating a sense of agreement. We want the audience to feel that they agree with the statements and are confident that the explanation is heading in a direction that they can grasp. 

 

In our work at Common Craft we often put this storyline in these terms: Meet Bob, he has a problem and feels pain He discovers a solution and tries it. 

 

Now he feels happy. Don't you want to feel like Bob? 

 

This framework for storytelling succeeds because it plays to basic human emotions. 

 

an explanation that builds context — not just about the world at large, but how that world impacts and causes pain for someone — can be very compelling. The context then becomes the person's feelings, which can be very powerful. 

 

Stories, in the context of explanations, need facts. And facts can be explained much more effectively in the form of a story. In short: Facts give stories substance. Stories give facts meaning 

 

Substance and meaning are two of the most powerful factors in any explanation. 

 

No child ever went to bed saying “Daddy read me some facts.” 

 

explanations do not need to follow the arc of a traditional story 

 

This is the power of story. By adding a person to a narrative, we make the facts more meaningful and interesting. Using people in explanations makes them feel natural and real. 

 

Once we've completed our research on a Common Craft video explanation, the next step is writing a script. 

 

The first version focuses on the big ideas we want to explain and provides the structure for relating those ideas. We are very selective at this point in the process. Because we can only say so much, we decide what ideas are essential and build on them while setting aside others. This is our fact telling version of the script — we're defining the facts we'll explain. Once we feel confident about those facts, we change direction and consider story. We ask ourselves: Is this something we can make into a story? If so, who is this person and what is their need? What is their experience with this subject? Will this add to the explanation? 

 

Adding people to an explanation also keeps the focus on the big ideas by limiting what is reasonable. 

 

If we explain an idea that involves humans, that explanation is, by design, constrained. This forces us to think in the context of what's reasonable and normal for a person to be able to accomplish. 

 

Therefore, when we approach an explanation with a story in mind, we start to see that characters have limits. 

 

Many of the stories we tell in Common Craft videos follow a very simple format that goes something like this, as we've illustrated previously: Meet Bob; he's like you Bob has a problem that makes him feel bad Now Bob found a solution, and he feels good! Don't you want to feel like Bob? 

 

When Does Storytelling Not Work? 

 

Process Explanations — Often, explanations are not as focused on revealing big ideas as on working through a process of some sort. In this context, the explanation is often more effectively delivered in the second person perspective. For example, to explain the process of changing a tire, I would ask you to find the jack in truck. Then I would explain how the jack works and where to put it on the truck. Story would simply get in the way in this context. 

 

Culture — Every organization has its own culture, and that culture provides clues about the potential for using storytelling in an explanation. 

 

Part of your job as an explainer is to understand the culture in which you operate — whether that's inside an organization or as a teacher, salesperson, and so on. Although I advocate using stories as a way to make an idea remarkable, there are some organizations and cultures where it just won't fly, and you need to be aware of this. 

 

Time Limitations — As powerful as stories can be, they take time. 

 

If your time is limited, storytelling may not be the best use of time. 

 

What if we could apply human traits to something like a comet? That is personification — attributing human traits to inanimate objects. By personifying something like a comet, we can more easily create a story about it. 

 

The great thing about this type of connection is that it builds on existing knowledge rather than trying to establish a completely a new idea. 

 

Explanation Is Not a Recipe 

 

As you can see in the following, descriptions are likely to be more appropriate as we move toward the “Z” end of the scale. 

 

“Research indicates that when a student both sees and hears the information at once, the brain is more likely to retain it because the brain is processing on two different channels in parallel. 

 

If you, as an expert, seriously want to help novice users understand concepts like this, you must think a little differently, which means you… 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 possible Forget the details and exceptions and focus on big ideas. Trade accuracy for understanding. Connect the basic ideas to ideas the audience already understands 

 

as much as we think we want a large number of choices, too many can become a problem and prevent us from feeling happy with any choice. 

 

The larger lesson is that the brain is a neural tangle of near infinite possibility, which means that it spends a lot of time and energy choosing what not to notice. As a result, creativity is traded away for efficiency; we think in literal prose, not symbolist poetry. And this is why constraints are so important: It's not until we encounter an unexpected hindrance — a challenge we can't easily resolve — that the chains of cognition are loosened, giving us newfound access to the weird connections simmering in the unconscious. 

 

When all data and ideas are on the table, there is endless potential, and we could spend weeks working through it in an effort to explain it all. Constraints help us eliminate most of that data and focus on connecting what will fit within our constraints. 

 

all Common Craft videos follow the same basic process prior to the storyboard phase: 1. Big idea — We are going to make a video about X. 2. Research and discovery — What main points do we need to make? 3. Script writing — How will we make it easy to understand? 

 

If you intend to solve explanation problems, it is essential that you identify the right problem or big idea. These problems take many forms, from internal communications to home page design, and part of the explainer's job is to recognize when an explanation could offer a solution. 

 

As such, your job in research and discovery is not to simply uncover the facts, but to understand the way those facts were communicated in the past. 

 

So far, you've read about packaging ideas into explanations that include context, connections, stories, and descriptions. The script is where these ideas come to life and begin to take shape. 

 

Our videos are always under four minutes long and we use a rule of thumb that dictates that one minute of video time is about 150 words for my voice-overs. This means that 600 words is the upper limit of word count for any Common Craft video. 

 

Here's an overview of the elements of a basic script, in order. Agreement, Context — problem/pain and vision of solution, Story, Connection, Description, Realization of solution — how Call to action 

 

Agreement. These are noncontroversial statements that start to frame the explanation's direction. 

 

By making these statements, we give the audience easily graspable and understood information. 

 

Context — Problem/pain and vision of solution 

 

Explanations are well-suited to reveal why an idea makes sense. One way we can do that is to state, in clear terms, a real problem that everyone understands. There is a problem and it's painful. 

 

Next, we present a vision for the future. These are often what if statements that inspire the audience to imagine a world in which this problem has been solved. 

 

Because every situation is different, the next step in our process is never consistent. The goal is the same in whatever form the explanation takes, however: we want to present an idea in the most understandable way possible for a specific audience. We use the following elements in doing so: 

 

Story — Introduce a character and outline some basic facts about this character. (Hint: the character is likeable and very similar to the audience.) 

 

This character lives in the world we introduced earlier and feels the pain. 

 

This character then discovers a new way to do things (the big idea). The character tries it, it feels better, and it makes sense (how it works). The character feels satisfied because life has changed for the better. 

 

2. Connection — The idea here is to take an indirect approach to addressing the big idea. Rather than addressing it outright, we talk about something like it in the form of, “You know X works, right? Well, Y is a lot like it in these ways.” 

 

3. Description — Sometimes explanations take the form of more tactical introductions about how to accomplish a specific task. Often, these are most appropriate when the audience is on the right side of the explanation scale. 

 

Realization. Now that we've shown the idea at work and given the audience a new perspective, we can show them the 

 

outcome: how the idea will change lives or actually works. 

 

Call to Action. Finally, we wrap the explanation up with an invitation to take an action. In Common Craft videos, it's often a summons to learn more. It could also be an invitation to contact someone, complete a form, sign up for a class, or try out a product or service. 

 

“We can start to build context by making a few statements that are factual and not controversial. We want everyone to be able to feel confident. We could even frame this as we-can-all-agree statements.” 

 

Ten Lessons Learned from Common Craft Explanations 

 

State Your Intentions Early. As I have mentioned, context is an important part of creating an explanation, and perhaps the first chance we have to build context is the title we give our work. 

 

Solve a Problem. People in any situation — a classroom, business, or a social setting — are anxious about falling behind on information. If you can create an explanation that solves a problem and helps them feel confident about an idea, it will make an impression and create demand for more. 

 

Keep It Short 

 

Reduce Noise 

 

That's why experiences designed to reduce noise stand out and attract our attention. 

 

Use Visuals. Many people are visual learners. Although text is the basis of any explanation, the combination of text and visuals can be greater than the sum of the parts. 

 

Embrace Imperfection 

 

Slow Down 

 

Be Timeless 

 

We've become aware that our explanations can have longer shelf-lives if we focus on big ideas and themes such as blogs or secure passwords rather than specific features, trends, and brands. 

 

Be Accessible 

 

In whatever medium you choose, consider the implications for those who might face challenges in experiencing your medium, 

 

Have Fun! 

 

One of the keys to getting the most out of an explanation is being deliberate about the media in which you choose to present it. 

 

1. Media options — The various forms of communication 2. Presentation modes — The platform that presents the forms 3. Recording and distribution options — How we make the resulting explanation sharable 

 

Text: The written word; a medium we see in books, newspapers, magazines, e-mails, an so on. Explanation Pros: Text is often great for exploring a subject with depth and analysis. It is easy and inexpensive to produce and can be very flexible. It works on the Web, on mobile devices and can provide hyperlinks to other resources. Explanation Cons: Readers often just skim text rather than diving into it, and with today's short attention spans, this can mean that messages don't get through. It's not likely to be considered a remarkable form of explanation. 

 

Image/graphic: A visual representation of an idea, concept, person, and so on that is often communicated in the form of a poster or individual graphic. Explanation Pros: An image or graphic can make complex subjects or data quick to understand and easy to digest. It can also offer the viewer a memorable experience that can be used represent emotion or symbolize an idea. Images and graphics offer a wide variety of options, from infographics about process to scenery that evokes a sentiment. Furthermore, visuals can be uniquely accessible to all languages and reading abilities. Explanation Cons: Although images and graphics can be hand drawn or produced with software, some complex visuals require graphic design skills and tools. The variety of visual options can feel overwhelming, and they can occasionally create unneeded noise in an explanation. Poorly designed infographics can cause increased confusion. Audio: A recorded voice or experience that is auditory. An audio recording is what we hear on the radio through podcasts or simply via discussion. Explanation Pros: Audio is a good storytelling medium and enables the listener to imagine their own versions of what is being spoken. It can be consumed while accomplishing other tasks and excels at relating a person's personality and emotion. When combined with visuals, audio can create a compelling and memorable experience. Explanation Cons: Audio recordings often require equipment and editing skills to produce, and sound quality is an important factor. Audio is difficult to skim or preview and alone, may not be attractive to the audience. Further, earphones may be required for listening to audio in office situations. Video: Recorded media including audio, visuals, and movement. We 

 

usually see these on TV and in movies theaters and on YouTube. Explanation Pros: Video is capable of creating a dynamic experience that can engage the viewer for sustained periods. It can capture live-action emotion and body language as well as simple animations and motion graphics. It's very flexible and capable of relating dense or complex information quickly. Video becomes more powerful when combined with an audio experience such as music or voice-overs. Additionally, you can produce it with very simple and accessible tools such as smart phones and presentation software and it is often attractive to the audience. Explanation Cons: Although video can be easily captured, you often need some level of editing software and skills to produce a compelling video product. Voice-overs are an important element in video explanations and can be difficult to perform and edit, and video can be very expensive to produce. Furthermore, high quality video productions can be costly. Live Demonstration: In-person presentation; what we experience in a classroom lecture or discussion. It involves the use of physical models or some other real-world experience. Explanation Pros: Live demonstration can be an engaging way to present an explanation because it enables discussion and collaboration. The audience is less likely to tune out in this scenario and is better able to understand complex ideas. This form is very flexible, can use all media types, and can be broadcast or recorded. Live demonstration can take advantage of flip-charts and other analog presentation tools. Explanation Cons: Live demonstrations often depend on a presenter who is an excellent communicator. Furthermore, demonstrations are usually limited to the people in attendance and cannot be easily reproduced without video equipment and skills. 

 

Presentation Modes 

 

Documents: Documents are the primary way businesses 

 

communicate information. The most popular are software-based word processing documents and spreadsheets. Explanation Pros: Documents are a standard and familiar platform for media that most computer users use often. We can use them to communicate explanations in text, data, and images. Furthermore, documents can be easily saved on computers and networks and sent via e-mail and other sharing options. Explanation Cons: Because documents are such a standard platform, they may not attract attention or interest, and they aren't usually a good fit for multimedia outside of images. Documents, particularly those sent as attachments, are often overused in organizations and may prevent some audience members from engaging. Presentation/Slideshow: Presentation or slideshow software is used to document and share ideas and concepts in a slide-based format. These are often used for in-person presentations or saved for viewing individually. Explanation Pros: Presentations are an excellent format for information that is presented linearly, with each slide relating to the next. They are capable of handling multimedia and are a common and familiar platform to most business users. Furthermore, presentation software comes with options for animating visuals and adding voice-overs to create a video experience without the use of cameras or editing software. Presentations can be a great asset in telling stories and creating storyboards. The files can be sent via e-mail and saved to computers and networks. Explanation Cons: Slideshow presentations have a reputation for being used ineffectively and may turn off some audience members. Presenters often achieve effective presentations by combining good design with their ability to engage an audience. These programs may not work effectively on mobile devices. 

 

Website: Websites offer a very wide variety of options in presenting explanations. Explanation Pros: Websites are capable of handling almost any media and are the most flexible of the modes listed here. They can offer a worldwide, always-on experience for computers and mobile devices. Websites excel at presenting video and are capable of promoting on-site discussion between viewers. Websites can be easily shared with a URL. Explanation Cons: Websites require an Internet connection and web browser to work. Although they are flexible, most website experiences require a combination of design and development skills to succeed. Websites can also be expensive and time consuming to produce and manage. Webinar: Webinars offer the benefits of a face-to-face meeting via the Internet, allowing people in different geographic locations to attend the same meeting. Most webinars are online presentations in which a presenter and meeting attendees use web browsers or software to share a common screen. The audio portion of the meeting is usually provided through calling into a conference phone line. Explanation Pros: Webinars can be an excellent platform for explanations and are often collaborative; attendees can chat or speak with the presenter and other attendees in real time. Most webinar systems are capable of using multimedia and offer a unique opportunity to see live demonstrations of the websites and software the presenter is using. They are often used in concert with presentation software to conduct training and can be recorded and viewed later. Explanation Cons: Webinar systems are often expensive and require some training for both presenters and attendees. Webinars are focused on computers and may not work with tablets or other mobile devices. Furthermore, they often require both Internet and 

 

phone connections. Video: Video is both a medium and a presentation mode that combines audio, video, and other media along with movement. Explanation Pros: Video is a very compelling platform for explanations because it usually combines audio and visual media to create an experience that enhances learning and retention. It is easy to share video on the Web, embed it in presentations, or save it on computers and networks. Videos are also capable of being very attractive and remarkable. Explanation Cons: Video files are often large and can be difficult to manage, and high-quality video is an expensive option for most. Furthermore, video is difficult to skim and may present accessibility problems for the hearing impaired. It can be challenging to ensure that video will play on all devices and platforms. Web-Based Presentation Apps: There are a growing number of web-based products and applications that provide alternatives to slide-based presentations tools like PowerPoint. Examples include Prezi and Slide Rocket. Explanation Pros: These products offer a unique and often remarkable mode for presenting explanations using multimedia and text along with zooming and scrolling capabilities. They can generally be presented via website or in-person. Most products offer a free or trial option and may work well with tablets and other mobile devices. Explanation Cons: The software can be difficult to learn and in some cases, produce odd side effects like motion sickness when viewed. While free options are available, most require monthly or annual subscriptions for all features. Some applications require an Internet connection. 

 

Instead of defining the perfect tool for every situation, I think it's more powerful to think at a higher level about the basic options we have and learn to use constraints to help us decide what will work best. Two types of constraints that we'll use are: Media constraints — These focus on the explainer's access to media. Audience constraints — These focus on the audience's need 

 

Back of the Napkin 

 

According to Roam, you can classify any problem into six problem clusters: Who and what problems — challenges that relate to things, people, and roles How much problems — challenges that relate to measuring and counting When problems — challenges that relate to scheduling and timing Where problems — challenges that relate to direction and how things fit together How problems — challenges that relate to how things influence one another Why problems — challenges that relate to seeing the big picture 

 

Who and What Problems — Challenges That Relate to Things, People, and Roles 

 

How Much Problems — Challenges That Involve Measuring and Counting 

 

Charts are perfect for quantitative data, or data that shows how much of something. 

 

When Problems — Challenges That 

 

Relate to Scheduling and Timing 

 

Where Problems — Challenges That Relate to Direction and How Things Fit Together 

 

How Problems — Challenges That Relate to How Things Influence One Another 

 

Why Problems — Challenges That Relate to Seeing the Big Picture 

 

Thus, when you look at a photo or a realistic drawing of a face — you see it as a face of another. But when you enter the world of a cartoon — you see yourself. I believe this is the primary cause of our childhood fascination with cartoons.