2JulSupplementing documentation with videos

Video tutorials are a great way to supplement your written documentation. Done right, they can bring personality and reassurance to both first time and power users. Even the brightest of users will appreciate having their hands held while learning about the features of your product or service.

In general we’ve found that when presented with both written documentation and videos, users will almost always go for the video first. There are a number of reasons for this but the main one is that a video does the work for the user. Users can follow along, pause, perhaps try the feature for themselves and then move on; it’s like having a tutor. Videos are particularly useful for when your product has intricate user interfaces or convoluted workflows.

If you are considering video tutorials as part of your documentation, here are a few tips to ensure things go smoothly:

*Choose a Flash based format when possible so users don’t have to download anything; they can just start playing the video. If you do require a different format, be sure to provide links to the appropriate codec and video player.
*Never let the videos get out of date. There is nothing worse then when a user who is running version 2 of your software is following your video for version 1 and can’t find the described button that was removed in version 2. If you can’t provide a new video, add a clear annotation in text near the video’s link clearly explaining any discrepancies the user will run into and how to solve them.
*Related to the previous note, clearly indicate which version(s) of your product each video applies to. This could include both text and vocal information embedded in the video.
*Identify and clearly describe complex or intricate features. A great example is when your software features a window docking system. Such user interfaces often require finesse to operate correctly, so take advantage of the ability to demonstrate this in a video by showing each subtle nuance the user will need to know.

Dollar for dollar video tutorials are a great way to spice up your documentation. They allow you to demonstrate functionality while providing guidance and personality to users learning your product.