It's like assembling the core of a puzzle first, once the essential pieces are in place, the rest becomes much easier to manage. In instructional design, focusing on the "need to know" content is like building that core. When learners grasp the critical information, it gives them the foundation they need to understand and apply other concepts naturally.
By eliminating the "nice to know" but less critical content, you're not only saving time but also reducing cognitive load. This approach allows learners to focus on what's truly important, which makes the entire learning process more efficient and impactful. Like a well-designed puzzle, everything starts to click into place once you have the essential framework in place!