Abstraction 101 — Simplify the Complex
And Tell Your Story…
If your friend asks you the plot of Harry Potter what would you tell?
Surely, you will not include the fact that Harry fought the Hungarian Horntail in the Triwizard Tournament, or that Sirius Black was Harry’s godfather.
Most likely, your narrative is likely to revolve around Harry and Voldemort.
“Harry was a little boy when Voldemort, an evil power-hungry dark wizard killed his parents. The book is about how Harry gets the world free of Voldermort and his atrocities.”
If your friend is more curious and says “Tell me more”, you are still unlikely to go to the Hungarian Horntail.
“Harry’s life changed when he met two friends — Ron and Hermoine. The trio was inseparable (mostly) and went through many trials and tribulations to defeat Voldemort. There were many battles that were fought and in the last one after a lot of blood was shed, Harry came victorious and Voldemort dead”
If your friend asks yet again “Tell me more”, you might begin to give yet some more details.
It would probably take ages and countless “Tell me more’s” to reach the level of detail that a Hungarian Horntail ever existed.
Think Maps. Let’s say World Maps!
The map of the world tells you the shape of each continent, where all the countries are placed, and which parts of the world are oceans.
Another map (or the same rather cluttered one) might also tell you the terrain in some locations.
But the same map cannot tell you about the weather, or about the people living there.
This my friends is exactly what Abstraction is.
Abstraction is representing the required meaningful for an audience in a simplified manner that conveys the truth.
But where can Abstraction help me?
You ask me what’s even the use?
Abstractions are being, consciously or subconsciously, used in every aspect of our lives to convey meaningful information.
That story you loved, that movie you didn’t blink through, that painting which spoke to you — all are essentially abstracted versions of a truth — real or designed.
Let me illustrate.
What you see on the left is how Water lilies look like. On the right, you see one of the most famous paintings from Monet — Water Lilies.
As you might notice, Money does not depict every detail of the water or the lilies in his painting.
Rather than using a combination of shapes, color, and brush strokes, he has depicted what is essential to make you feel what you would have felt like watching water lilies.
He has depicted the swirl of the water with the sway of the underlying stems and most importantly how the delicate lilies lie cradled on the firm strong leaves.
Steve Jobs is called one of the most powerful storytellers of this Generation. One of his most powerful narratives is the one he gave in the commencement speech at Stanford. Hear it once more (or once if you have not heard yet) and notice what makes it so powerful.
The two primary factors, in my opinion, are first, extracting the right and right level of detail (abstraction) and second, stringing them in the right sequence.
Abstraction is not a particularly creative term, and I am sure it is called something else in creative arts.
But let me tell you how it has helped me in my professional life.
Abstraction is a powerful concept used in Programming.
I am a Product Manager, and I cannot write PRDs without Abstracting.
Any great presenter would tell you the struggle of what to put on the first page to communicate an effective story.
You can also think of low-fidelity wireframes as an abstraction of User Experience.
Learning anything new requires you to understand the high-level detail before being overwhelmed by the specifics. That’s abstraction my friends!
Abstract the essence out of it!
Abstraction can be thought of as the opposite of Detailing!
The easiest mental model that represents abstraction is a multi-layered prism.
Think of the lowest layer as a 100 pager document or a book. This has every little bit of detail that could be talked about on a Topic.
If you remove some unimportant details, you get the second-lowest layer.
When you continue this process of elimination, you reach the top.
The highest degree of abstraction highlights the essence of the concept with the most important details that represent the concept.
The highest level of abstraction represents the most simple form of truth.
Why is Abstraction so important?
An un-abstracted form obstructs your vision.
Have you ever thought about how painting and music are similar?
In their most abstracted form, both represent resonance and forms. Paintings use shapes and color harmony while music uses notes and placement of notes.
Abstraction allows you to draw analogies and get inspired.
Netflix and Spotify are essentially the same in the job they do — keep your senses entertained and occupied. Netflix can essentially draw inspiration from Spotify’s awesome features and vice versa.
Uber and flight-booking Products essentially serve the same purpose — get someone from Point A to Point B.
Laws of physics apply to other aspects of life. The concept of Critical Mass is one of the most important principles used by Businesses to grow.
Abstraction allows you to witness the symphony and harmony of the world.
It is the most theoretical and yet the most practical skill you could ever master.
