Microexplainers

Microexplainers are brief, self-contained explanations designed to clarify a single concept, term, feature, or claim. They are typically concise, aiming for immediate understanding without requiring a longer article. They can appear as standalone blocks, inline hints, or short notes within other content, including articles, apps, dashboards, and websites.

Common formats include short text blurbs, glossary entries, tooltips, onboarding tours, quick infographics, and short videos. They favor plain language, concrete examples, and non-technical terms; visuals and analogies are often used to enhance comprehension. Accessibility considerations include clear typography and legible color contrast.

Purposes and use cases: reduce cognitive load, aid decision-making, and support learning. In journalism, microexplainers help define terms or concepts in context; in software, they explain features; in education, they serve as microlearning units. They are also used in dashboards to define metrics or data sources.

Design considerations and limitations: designers should balance brevity with accuracy, avoid oversimplification, and ensure up-to-date sourcing. Risks include loss of nuance, misinterpretation, or disconnected context if the microexplanation is not linked to broader materials. They should be tested with target audiences and accessible to diverse users.

Relation to related concepts: microexplainers differ from long-form explainers, jargon glossaries, or FAQs. They’re related to microlearning and just-in-time learning, and are often integrated into content strategies, UX design, or educational resources to provide quick, reliable clarifications.