A few videos are useful and great to have, but they are not replacements for good written documentation. Often, I don't want to or cant watch a video but can read written documentation (or I can watch videos, but without sound..). For programming related documentation, I usually just close the browser tab if the documentation I find is only in video format - I often won't even bother trying. For programs, I don't do it as often, but I've done it enough times that it matters. Often I'd rather google for five minutes than watch a five minute documentation video. Other times, the video is too slow or too fast for my taste and I end up skipping most of it anyway.
Also, I can easily perform text search for something in written docs, but not in videos.
Bottom line: written documentation is a must have, video documentation is very nice to have, but IMHO should never be a replacement, but rather an added bonus.
Great feedback, I appreciate the input. My app is going to target noobs, so I think the video component will be super helpful. But for experienced people, yeah I know what you mean. It can be a roadbump at best sometimes.
If you're targeting beginners, then I would put more emphasis on videos than I did in my comment above, but I would still not completely replace the written docs with them. Also, the written docs should probably contain step-by-step instructions for common tasks, with screenshots (basically like the video version would be but not a video).
Of course, you may not have the time/resources to do all that so you will have to decide whats most valuable for your customers. Ideally, I'd say written docs hopefully with screenshots and at least one video, if you can.
Thanks man, that's sort of my plan right now anyway. Iwas going to rely more on video but after the surprising (to me) response to this poll I'm definitely going to lean more heavily on text with the videos and screenshots sprinkled throughout.
Comments
A few videos are useful and great to have, but they are not replacements for good written documentation. Often, I don't want to or cant watch a video but can read written documentation (or I can watch videos, but without sound..). For programming related documentation, I usually just close the browser tab if the documentation I find is only in video format - I often won't even bother trying. For programs, I don't do it as often, but I've done it enough times that it matters. Often I'd rather google for five minutes than watch a five minute documentation video. Other times, the video is too slow or too fast for my taste and I end up skipping most of it anyway.
Also, I can easily perform text search for something in written docs, but not in videos.
Bottom line: written documentation is a must have, video documentation is very nice to have, but IMHO should never be a replacement, but rather an added bonus.
Great feedback, I appreciate the input. My app is going to target noobs, so I think the video component will be super helpful. But for experienced people, yeah I know what you mean. It can be a roadbump at best sometimes.
If you're targeting beginners, then I would put more emphasis on videos than I did in my comment above, but I would still not completely replace the written docs with them. Also, the written docs should probably contain step-by-step instructions for common tasks, with screenshots (basically like the video version would be but not a video).
Of course, you may not have the time/resources to do all that so you will have to decide whats most valuable for your customers. Ideally, I'd say written docs hopefully with screenshots and at least one video, if you can.
Thanks man, that's sort of my plan right now anyway. Iwas going to rely more on video but after the surprising (to me) response to this poll I'm definitely going to lean more heavily on text with the videos and screenshots sprinkled throughout.