Explaining Algorithms with IKEA-Style Instructions

IKEA’s assembly manuals are famous for being completely wordless: using only diagrams, the same instructions work seamlessly in every country around the globe. Here’s a classic example from the ‘BILLY’ bookcase.

I recently discovered idea-instructions.com, a site that borrows this exact visual style to explain computer science algorithms and technical concepts. Distilling a complex technical topic down to its bare fundamentals so it can be communicated entirely without text is a fantastic exercise in communication. They even give them faux-Swedish names—here is their great breakdown of Quicksort, or rather “kvick sört”.