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Explanation Master Course

Learn powerful skills that make audiences fall in love with your ideas. This is the complete guide professionals need to become better explainers.

   1 Minute Intro Video

"I've known Lee LeFever and Common Craft for years. No one is more qualified to teach explanation."

- Chris Savage, CEO, Wistia

Why This Course Matters

You can make your ideas happen through clear explanations.

Whether you're a professional who is:

• Introducing a new project
• Presenting research to a group
• Changing a company policy
• Making your case for funding
• Training colleagues or customers
• Demonstrating a product
• Or even requesting a new position

Carefully crafted explanations will help you make the most of these opportunities. Your ability to build support, respect and attention depends on others understanding your ideas.


Your Instructor


Lee LeFever
Lee LeFever

Lee LeFever has been a professional explainer for over 10 years.

Lee is the co-founder of Common Craft, an international keynote speaker and author of The Art of Explanation (Wiley, 2012). He is also credited with inspiring the online "explainer" video industry. In his work, he's helped companies such as Google, Intel, LEGO and Ford to explain their products. His explainer videos have been viewed over 50 million times and licensed to professionals and organizations in over 50 countries.


"The Explainer Academy taught me real, tangible skills that make me a better collaborator and leader."

- Kalpita Kothary, Co-owner & Engineer, Minky

How Will I Learn?

The Explanation Master Course is a packed multi-media experience. You'll learn and practice explanation skills with a variety of media and tools:

Grasp concepts via explanations, stories and anecdotes in friendly, readable writing.



Understand useful ideas quickly via 40+ short, animated explainer videos. No video is over three minutes long.



Find engaging original hand-drawn visuals throughout the course.



Test and evaluate your progress with quizzes and exercises designed to make it productive and fun.



Download multiple guides and templates to take with you.



Create your own explanations! Our exercises guide you through each step of planning and crafting your own explanation throughout the course.

"The Explainer Academy couldn't have done a better job of creating 'just right' size pieces to give me a sense of accomplishment and lots to process. Great explaining!

- Bob Rosen

What Will I Learn?

The Master Course builds important strategies in four levels, each with easy-to-follow chapters. These levels focus on:

Explanation Foundations - Diagnose why some explanations succeed and why some fail, so you can avoid missteps from the beginning.

Explanation Checklist - Discover the four key assessments that ensure every one of your explanations hits the mark.

Explanation Strategies - Learn to repackage your ideas into crystal clear explanations with four can’t-miss strategies using context, story models, analogies and more.

Talking Points - Develop tailored explanations designed to make your audience fall in love with your ideas.

"I'm constantly trying to explain new pieces of technology, business models, or both, to everyone from customers to investors. The Explainer Academy gave me great techniques to match the right explanation with the right audience."

- Boris Mann, Founder, SCALE

Course Curriculum


  First Section
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Foundations
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Explanation Checklist
Available in days
days after you enroll

"Everyone should take these courses! They provide a common ground - including new tools and vocabulary - to help you teach, learn, and be a better communicator overall."

- Anastasia Fuller, Content Strategist, Juxtaprose

Convince Your Boss

Explainer Academy Fact Sheet

Our one-page fact sheet has all the information you need to make your case to enroll. Print it, send it in email, make a poster!

Download it Now (PDF)

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
This course happens on your schedule. It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like. There is no expiration date.
Who should take this course?
The Master Course is designed for professionals who depend on clear, understandable communication. Whether you're introducing a new project, presenting research to a group, making your case for funding, demonstrating a product, or even requesting a new position, explanation skills will help you make the most of these opportunities.
How is the course taught?
The Master Course is a multi-media experience in Common Craft Style. It's designed with an engaging mix of words, 40+ short animated videos, original hand-drawn visuals, quizzes, exercises and downloadable guides to take with you.
How long will it take me to complete the course?
To complete the Master Course, you can plan for 4-6 hours in total, and we recommend pacing yourself by completing one section (each includes a few chapters) a day.
Will I learn to make explainer videos?
You will learn to prepare your explanations for any type of media, like explainer videos. At the heart of great explainer videos are carefully crafted explanations, which is the goal of the Explanation Master Course. They are the prerequisite for creating videos and media. Our Media Maker Course will show how to use the skills from the Explanation Master Course to write scripts, create storyboards and create DIY explainer videos and presentations using common tools.
Is there a certificate of completion?
Yes! When you complete the course, there is a Certificate of Completion to print and one that can be added directly to your Linkedin Profile.
What if I want my team to take this course?
Great idea! This is an Individual License, of course, so please Contact Us for your group/volume licensing. We'll get them set up in a jiffy!
Is closed captioning available?
Yes! The videos in the course are closed captioned.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
If you are unhappy with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund. That’s how confident we are that this course will help you become a better explainer.

"Excellent. Invaluable. The Explainer Academy was just what I was looking for."

- Bonny Hart, ESL Teacher, NYC

Other Courses We Offer:

DIY Media Maker Course

Learn to produce DIY animated videos using common and affordable tools. This course will turn you into an explainer video producer. Learn more.



Explainer Academy Bundle

Save 15% by purchasing the Explanation Master Course and the Media Maker Course as a bundle. Learn more.

Get started now!