Why Explaining Things to a 10-Year-Old Makes You Better at Everything
Explain it to me like I'm ten
Tim Harford explores the surprising power of constraints in communication and design. From Randall Munroe's 'Up Goer Five' to Dr. Seuss's 'Green Eggs and Ham', he shows how artificial limits can spark creativity. He argues that the request to 'explain it like I'm 10' forces experts to simplify, and that designing for people with disabilities or women often leads to better products for everyone, citing examples from body armor to kitchen tools.
The challenges faced by users who are unusually small, large, old or young, or who have disabilities, are 'more extreme versions of the challenges that many other users face'.