RE: "usable" screen captures

["Leonard C. Porrello" <Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- SoleraTec -dot- com>]

I agree. Callouts are cool and helpful. And I would add that for some
audiences (and applications), they are essential. The development
methodology in my current company leads me to avoid them. We use Agile,
and screens are improved frequently and deadlines are often very tight.
Fortunately, our product is pitched to a computer literate audience, and
the GUIs aren't cluttered or otherwise overly complex.

Leonard



-----Original Message-----
From: Cardimon, Craig [mailto:ccardimon -at- M-S-G -dot- com] 
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 7:47 AM
To: Leonard C. Porrello
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com; john -at- garisons -dot- com
Subject: RE: "usable" screen captures

Thanks for replying. I understand your reasoning. 

It is a drag, though. Callouts are eye-catching. They look cool.

But in the long run, not doing callouts is easier.

Craig


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Leonard C. Porrello [mailto:Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- SoleraTec -dot- com]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 10:40 AM
> To: Cardimon, Craig
> Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com; john -at- garisons -dot- com
> Subject: RE: "usable" screen captures
> 
> Using callouts, graphical and textual, increases maintenance costs.
With
> graphics callouts (in step by step sections, for example), you often
> have to swap out several screenshots when a dialog changes. With text
> call-outs (like the ones illustrated in this thread), you have to
> capture a new screenshot and redraw (or at least remap) all of your
> callouts when a dialog changes. In contrast, without call-outs you can
> just capture a new screen shot and be done with it.
> 
> Leonard
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Cardimon, Craig [mailto:ccardimon -at- M-S-G -dot- com]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 5:32 AM
> To: Leonard C. Porrello
> Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com; john -at- garisons -dot- com
> Subject: RE: "usable" screen captures
> 
> > An excellent point. Maintenance costs also go way up when you use
> > callouts.
> >
> > Leonard
> >
> 
> How so?

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