Video Strategy
Part of Screen recordings and software tutorials
Updating a tutorial after an interface redesign
Audit a tutorial against a redesigned interface, choose the right update and check its video, written steps and access assets together.
After an interface redesign, follow the tutorial's task in the current software before deciding what to change. Check whether the audience can still reach the stated result, where labels or controls moved, and whether permissions or the outcome changed. Then update the text, replace an affected segment or record a new one.
Audit the task
Use the account role and starting state the tutorial claims to show. Compare each written step and video action with the current interface. Record the old and current label or location, whether the action still exists, and whether it produces the same result. Check permissions and confirmation states as well as appearance.
A colour or layout change may leave the route clear. A renamed control can make an otherwise accurate video difficult to follow. A changed permission, action order or result may make it wrong. Review the entire path before choosing an edit.
| Finding | Response to consider |
|---|---|
| Appearance changed; route and result remain clear | Keep the video and check the written steps and version context |
| One label or short section changed | Correct the text and replace or clearly update the affected video section |
| Path, role or outcome changed | Re-record the affected task or replace the tutorial |
| Old and new interfaces both remain in use | Identify the audience for each route and provide the appropriate instructions |
A small visual change can still affect a critical step, so use the table as a decision aid rather than an automatic rule.
Audit finding and the response to consider
- Appearance changed; route and result remain clear
- Keep the video and check the written steps and version context
- One label or short section changed
- Correct the text and replace or clearly update the affected video section
- Path, role or outcome changed
- Re-record the affected task or replace the tutorial
- Old and new interfaces both remain in use
- Identify the audience for each route and provide the appropriate instructions
Make a truthful update
Correct written steps when they can guide the current task accurately. If the old video contradicts those steps, identify the affected section clearly or replace it; a brief note should not leave viewers following a wrong action.
When replacing a segment, match its account role, sample data, terminology and resulting state to the surrounding footage. Do not join steps from incompatible interface versions into one apparent sequence.
If the workflow has changed substantially, define the current starting point, access, decisions and success state before recording again. Remove an obsolete tutorial from active task pages. If a historical copy has a reason to remain available, label its version and audience clearly.
Check the companion assets
Compare captions, transcript, written guide, poster and page introduction with the revised video. If speech changes, update its captions. If an important result is now shown only visually, convey it through the audio or an appropriate description and written alternative. Check the final export in its intended player and have someone who did not make the edit follow the current task from the page.
Keep the product area, relevant version or release context, tutorial owner, review date and reason for change in the maintenance record. Review the page again when a release, support report or changed UI label suggests that the route may have moved.
Companion assets and final checks for the revised video
- Captions
- Transcript
- Written guide
- Poster
- Page introduction
- Audio description where an important result is shown only visually
- Final export checked in its intended player
- A person who did not make the edit follows the current task from the page
Keep in the tutorial maintenance record
- Product area
- Relevant version or release context
- Tutorial owner
- Review date
- Reason for change
