RE: Use of screenshots in procedures?

["Dan Goldstein" <DGoldstein -at- riverainmedical -dot- com>]

"Current thinking" is as illusory as "best practices." But I think most
of us would agree that the multiple screen captures are pointless,
unless _your users_ (the only ones who matter) actually prefer having
them.

In any case, it's not worth getting emotional about. If the boss doesn't
accept your logic, go gracefully with the screen captures.


-----Original Message-----
From: Saunders, Ian
Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2010 11:08 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Use of screenshots in procedures?

I have to update some software installation procedures, each of which
contains about a dozen screengrabs of the InstallShield wizard at
various stages during the process. Are all these graphics really
necessary? Personally, I think they are way over the top, and turn what
would be one page of instructions into six pages that simply mimic what
you will be seeing on the screen as you perform the task.

Before I start screaming and stamping my feet, however, I thought I
would find out what the current thinking is on this question.

To illustrate (the obvious) or not? That is the question!



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