The Art of Explanation

In a world where information arrives faster than anyone can comfortably absorb, the ability to clearly convey ideas is a rare competitive advantage. Ros Atkins, a BBC journalist known for producing viral explainer videos, believes explanation is an art built through discipline, structure, and awareness of the audience. His book The Art of Explanation offers a framework for turning complex material into understanding people can absorb, remember, and act on. Rather than treating clarity as a talent bestowed on a lucky few, Atkins presents it as a skill anyone can master with intention and practice. He argues that good explanation doesn’t simply transfer information—it transforms confusion into comprehension, reduces cognitive load, and helps people make better decisions. In fields ranging from business and public speaking to teaching, journalism, and everyday conversation, knowing how to explain well changes outcomes. The book breaks explanation into an actionable methodology while also exploring the psychology, creativity, and neuroscience that sit beneath human understanding.

Why Explanation Matters in Modern Communication

People today face an unprecedented flood of notifications, messages, news reports, and updates. The challenge is not accessing information but making sense of it. When communication is unclear, meetings drag on without resolution, projects derail due to misunderstanding, and people disengage from messages that feel confusing or irrelevant. But a strong explanation pulls listeners toward meaning, reduces uncertainty, builds trust, and saves time. Atkins emphasizes how clarity fuels better decisions. A compelling explanation allows a colleague to act efficiently, a student to grasp a concept more quickly, a reader to feel informed enough to form an opinion, or a viewer to understand a complex event without drowning in context. Explanation has become a foundational skill for anyone who works with ideas and people. It determines whether a presentation lands, whether a proposal convinces, whether a leader inspires, and whether a conversation deepens or dissolves.

The Essence of a Good Explanation

A strong explanation is intentional. It begins with a clear sense of purpose—what needs to be understood, why it matters, and what outcome the explainer hopes to achieve. Atkins argues that clarity begins before writing or speaking; it starts by deciding precisely what should be conveyed. A person who knows their message can express it without rambling, overloading, or wandering off track. Effective explanations simplify without flattening nuance. They separate what is essential from what is merely interesting. They respect the intelligence of the listener while guiding them through context, examples, and structure. The result is understanding—not admiration for vocabulary or performance, but the quiet moment when something complicated suddenly becomes clear.

Understanding Audience as the Foundation

Before building an explanation, Atkins insists that one must know their audience. Different groups require different framing, pacing, and depth. A novice and an expert will not benefit from the same description. Tailoring begins with three core questions: Who is the audience? What do they already know? How do they prefer information delivered? When an explainer identifies prior knowledge, they avoid wasting time on basics or, conversely, assuming understanding that isn’t there. Some audiences ...