Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends, Before diving into the details, a quick reminder: After years of focus on our video library, I've now cleared part of my schedule for consulting services. If you need help pitching a new product, explaining a complicated idea, or developing a clear presentation, let's talk. Using the Tricolon to Make Ideas Memorable As a daily user of NYT Puzzles,...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends, Every four years, a Common Craft video gets renewed attention. Why? Because it clearly explains how the US elects a president. Electing a US President in Plain English Watch the video below on YouTube: About the Video: The electoral college process is complicated. When we decided to make the video in 2008 it took research to see the big picture...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends, Are you working on something complicated? Needing to communicate change? Hoping to get support for a new direction or educating a team? In these situations, clear explanations are essential. Working with an outside partner can help you see new opportunities and avoid getting stuck. This person can help develop your points and ensure you get the...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends, Lately, I've been focused on the idea of designing explanations for specific events or outcomes (job interviews, presentations, policy changes, etc.) This means taking a step back and thinking like a designer who is solving a specific problem. In working with companies, entrepreneurs, educators, and more, I see the same problem over and over: They...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends, Last week I shared a post about a new direction for the Explainer Academy called Designing Explanations. My teaching, workshops, and posts will be focused on the skill of explanation in any situation or medium. Here's the big idea: Explanation in the First Degree Link to this post When you hear the word "design" you might think about fashion, art,...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends, I hope you've had an amazing summer. Here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn has arrived a bit early and prompted me to think about the focus of my work for the rest of 2024. Below I'll explain where I've landed. Designing Explanations Over the last couple of years, my focus at the Explainer Academy was how to make animated explainer videos. I...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends, Our new online course, IDEAS in MOTION, is a comprehensive guide to developing animations and animated videos that do the heavy lifting when words aren't enough. The course teaches a simple method for producing short animated videos using only presentation software. Course and Webinar Combo For a limited time, enrollment in the IDEAS in MOTION...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends. This new video feels like we're returning to our roots and explaining social media. This time, however, our focus is an emerging idea that could change how we think about sharing online. This video is now available for download and use by Common Craft members. New Video: The Fediverse, Explained Link to this article Over the past decade, social...
7 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends, Last week, I shared news of our new free course: Become an Explanation Specialist. Thanks for enrolling! I'd love to know what you think... just hit REPLY. This week, I'm sharing a video of me brainstorming visuals for an upcoming Common Craft video. Brainstorming Video Visuals - Behind the Scenes Video Link to the post The visuals in a Common...
7 months ago • 1 min read
