Video Tutorial Best Practices

Keep these best practices in mind as you create your visuals:

• Use visuals for pacing. Change the visual each time you introduce a new point to cue the viewer that you’re saying something new. (See the script template and storyboard section of the Writing a Script tab for more information.)
• Keep it simple! Remember that visuals are a large part of the audience's cognitive load.
• If you include people in your visuals, seek diversity in age, race, cultural heritage, religious expression, gender expression, and disability status whenever possible. An all white, cis male, able bodied group of folks ages 18-24 does not fully reflect the student body of Georgia Tech. 
• If you use a mix of visual elements, make sure they are the same dimensions when editing. Use the dimensions of your video recording and scale the other elements to it.

Many Library video tutorials consist of screen recordings and and screenshots. That is because most of our users first encounter the library online, and most of the resources we provide are online, as well.

When recording your screen, remember the following:

• Simplify the recorded screen area as much as possible. If you are showing your browser, do not have multiple tabs open. If you are showing your desktop, clean up unnecessary files.
• As stated previously, if there is something you want the audience to really pay attention to, do not speak while you show them. Tell them about it first, then show them.
• Do not move you mouse or cursor around on the screen for emphasis. Use animation or annotation during editing instead.
• If it is necessary for the audience to see a browser load, use video editing to speed up or slow down the process.
• If it is not important for the audience to see any movement from you or the browser, simplify the visual by using a static screenshot.

Static images and text are good additions to screen recording because they convey information without the cognitive load of motion. Below are recommendations to find or create effective images.

To find images:

• Look for images with the .PNG or .TIFF file extension instead of .JPG or .JPEG.
• If you use an image off the web, credit the creator in the video notes.
• Look at advertising to get a sense of the most modern visual style and language, but remember that not all images work across cultures.
• Avoid the use of clipart.
• Test images for pixelation at the full screen size. Many users will see videos at the size of the embedded window or on a mobile device, but all visuals need to be scalable.

To create images:

• Pick a small amount of colors and use them throughout the video.
• Use a color wheel or palette generator to select your colors.
• When in doubt, select from the tertiary colors in GT’s branding.

For text:

• Use sans-serif font at least 18 pt. size.
• Use it sparingly. Limit its use to contact information, web addresses, and other brief descriptions.
• Avoid full sentences of text.

You may want to include people in your video, such "talking head" narration or an interview. In these situations, viewers tend to only require looking at faces and listening to dialog without seeing additional visuals. As with everything else, keep it simple!

If you film outside of a recording studio, use a tripod to steady the footage. Do not use handheld footage.

The Library has resources and knowledgeable staff to assist you with recording your video tutorial. Take advantage of these by recording your project in one of our AV studios and using our gadgets to enhance it.