The document discusses the importance of clear, concise messaging and storytelling. It emphasizes focusing on the essential elements - who, what, why - and removing excess words and clutter. Well-crafted messages should have rational arguments but also emotional appeal. The goal is to explain what something is and why it matters in as few words as possible, typically within 5 seconds of a person's attention span.

1. The Message
What it is and why it matters

2. “We are told about the world before we see
it. We imagine most things before we
experience them.”
― Walter Lippmann, Public Opinion

3. In an age of confusion…
You’ve got about five seconds of
attention.

4. What makes a good story?

5. Who  What  Why

6. Hero  Slay the Dragon  Save the Princess

7. Call to adventure  Epic challenge  Enlightenme

8. Anyone 
Can make a computer 
And create the world around them

10. CONFUSION
CLARITY

11. CONFUSION
“A Raspberry Pi
based kit that runs
on open-source
software and
introduces you to
the Linux shell,
programming
syntax, basic Python
and Javascript, and
networking.”
CLARITY
“A computer
anyone can make –
like Lego.”

12. CONFUSION
“A hardware and
software system for
building technical
skills and learning
how to script with
Python, navigate
the Linux shell, and
develop good
programming
habits.”
CLARITY
“Start coding right
away, no matter
your experience.”

13. WTF?
WHAT
+
WHY

14. DO first – explain later
start with ACTION – end with detail
MAKE something cool – then let them play

15. 5 seconds to make message clear
Inside the
building…
• A SW tooltip
• A book page
• A first meeting
• A new project
And out…
• An event
• A tweet
• An interview
• A marketing page

16. “Good prose is like a windowpane.”
― George Orwell, Why I Write

17. Here…
…here
…here

18. But especially, here…

19. And
here…
(…and 45 more)

20. “Good design is as little design as possible Less, but better – because it concentrates
on the essential aspects.”
― Dieter Rams, 10 Principles

21. SIMPLIFY SIMPLIFY SIMPLIFY
― Mural, Entrance Hall, Apple HQ

22. Cut, then clarify…
RPi Education Manua
(137 pages)
“Look for clutter and prune it ruthlessly. Be
grateful for everything you can throw away.
Reexamine each sentence you put on paper. Is
every word doing new work?”
-William Zinsser, On Writing Well
(262 pages)
RPi User Guide

23. “Look for clutter and prune it ruthlessly. Be
grateful for everything you can throw away.
Reexamine each sentence you put on paper.
Is every word doing new work?”
-William Zinsser, On Writing Well

24. “Look for clutter and prune it ruthlessly. Be
grateful for everything you can throw away.
Reexamine each sentence you put on paper.
Is every word doing new work?”
-William Zinsser, On Writing Well

25. “The Raspberry Pi doesn’t have a hard disk
built in to it so it uses an SD card as its main
storage.”
-Raspberry Pi For Dummies

26. “The Raspberry Pi doesn’t have a hard disk
built in to it so it uses an SD card as its main
storage.”
-Raspberry Pi For Dummies
“Your computer stores stuff in its memory.
This one is called an SD card. Plug it in.”

27. “The sheer quantity of digital information
makes the skill of organising digital content
more important than ever before.”
-Computing at School Primary Teacher
Guide

28. “The sheer quantity of digital information
makes the skill of organising digital content
more important than ever before.”
-Computing At School Primary Teacher
Guide
“Your computer can do and think a lot of
things. So keep your code clean and clear.”

29. Best rule?
SIMPLER = SHORTER

30. Best rule?
BREVITY = SOUL OF W

31. “Veni vidi vici”
“Think different”
“To be or not to be”
SHORT = SWEET
“Hello world.”
“You’ve got mail.”

32. Second best rule?
THREE Ws
•
•
•
Who
What
Why

33. WHO
Kano, a computer
company in London.
We are simple, fun
and for everyone.

34. WHAT
A computer and coding
kit for all ages, all over
the world.

35. WHY
Give a new generation
a way to create, not just
consume, technology.

36. Make, then market?
PRODUCT
(messaging…?)
MARKETING

37. PRODUCT
MARKETING

38. PRODUCT
MARKETING

39. the message
PRODUCT
MARKETING

40. the message
RATIONAL
VALUE
EMOTIONAL
APPEAL

41. the message
LEARN
AND
TAKE CONTROL
BE CREATIVE
AND
HAVE FUN