Tips to Create Screencasts for Software Documentation
I came across a great post about creating instructional videos — Tips to Make Instructional Videos — and decided to tell you how I create screencasts for technical documentation. I must mention that I don’t do it very often. Not all documents allow that. But I really enjoy inserting short video instructions when it is appropriate.
As I often work on software documentation, I must explain how things work and what a user is to do to get a result. It is like this: click this button, click that button. Yet, I found no better solution to illustrate explanations than using a short video — a screencast. It is a recording of what you do on your screen. My screencasts are up to five seconds long. Not much, but that is enough to demonstrate how I work with a product. I do not record voice, but sometimes I use captions. You don’t need to be a professional to make screen recordings, and you don’t need to spend a lot on using specialized software. I use free tools, and they do a great job. So, here is what you are to pay attention to when recording your screen:
- Do not show your desktop or get rid of clutter. Users do not need to see numerous folders on your desktop.
- Use full-screen mode if it is possible. It will hide other distractions as well.
- Turn off notifications and pop-ups. I am sure you don’t want to record your screen when a message pops up in the corner.
- Scroll slowly. If your movements are too quick, users don’t have a chance to understand what you are doing.
- Move your mouse slowly. You are to create easy-to-follow videos.
- Record just what is important. You don’t need to record the whole screen, you can record just a section of it to pay more attention to the details.
- Use the second monitor. It gives you more control over your actions.
It is up to you what screen recording software to choose. It depends on your purposes and needs. So, when choosing a tool, check its features carefully (video hosting, sharing options, voice recording, making screenshots, editing tools, recording time, etc.). Actually, you don’t necessarily need to choose a paid plan unless you’ve got specific needs. Free tools offer enough features to produce content.
I host my videos on YouTube and then just use embed code to insert them in my docs. My help authoring tool allows that. That is not difficult. YouTube offers privacy settings for videos if you want to limit access to them.
If you still don’t know how to start adding screencasts to your technical documentation, it’s high time to learn. You can start with simple things. When you master them, you’ll be able to produce more sophisticated videos. Make your docs better right now, don’t wait for tomorrow.
