Engaging Explanations for Complex Concepts all in 3 minutes or less

We recently learned, via Newsweek, of a really cool site that creates instructional videos that explain complex concepts “in plain English”. Better yet, the videos are interestingly illustrated and are all less than 3 minutes. Common Craft launched with a library of videos on technology and has expanded into some other areas such as finance.

Now there is a place to go to get clear and engaging explanations on Twitter, Blogs, Computer Hardware, Computer Software, Investing Money, Saving Money, and on and on.

The three minutes I spent watching “Electing a president” (pictured above) far surpassed many accumulated civics lessons in the Electoral College, and I even learned something new! (While I knew that the number of votes each state gets is proportional to the population of that state, I didn’t know that the exact number equals the state’s number of congressional districts plus 2 - for the 2 senators. Oh, just watch the video...)

We’re routing for Common Craft and hope that they continue to expand their repertoire. Their perspective is so refreshing and we are sure it can be applied almost anywhere - perhaps they can simplify some really thorny issues such as ‘Becoming My Mother’ or ‘Mid-Life Crisis’ or ‘He’s Not That In To You’. (Note: They can also make custom videos.)

Aside from selling really interesting stories, Common Craft (run by husband and wife team Sachi and Lee LeFever) has an interesting story itself. Read it and be prepared to fall in love.