Product
DigArc Curriculog Instructional Video
Roles
Video Editor
Intructional Designer
Tools
Audio-Technica AT4040 Microphone
Audition
Camtasia
InDesign
Windows
Curriculog is a cloud-based software system used to track curriculum proposals at higher education organizations. The software allows for workflow creation and change management, and streamlines approval processes. Unfortunately, the software lacks intuitive learning features for new users. The Quick Start Guide is the first in a series of videos aimed at helping faculty and staff understand how to manage their account and interact with the dashboard (pictured above).
Approach
To create this quick start guide, I first assessed the needs of users. Then, I walked through the first set of tasks a new user would complete and created a storyboard using InDesign. From there, I recorded screen capture and voice-over simultaneously with Camtasia. Next, I focused on aligning voice-over with screen capture and adding in annotations to draw attention to specific areas. After exporting, I processed the final audio with Adobe Audition. I used a plugin to adjust vocal tone, balance volume levels, and remove distracting breaths between words.
Step 1 | Assess user needs
Not every user who accesses the Curriculog interface is intending to create proposals for curriculum changes. In fact, most users only need access for research and historical purposes; they want to know what’s already changed and updated. To verify this, I spoke with colleges and departments to assess the needs of general users.
Unlike power users, general users found the Curriculog dashboard confusing to understand.
Additionally, new employees indicated they were overwhelmed by the interface and didn’t know where to begin.
Finally, all users conveyed their frustration with the high number of email notifications generated by Curriculog.
Step 2 | Create a storyboard
Armed with the user feedback, I created a storyboard in InDesign for a quick start video. For content, I began with the basics of logging in and immediately instructed users on how to change their email settings. From there, I walked through each section of the Curriculog dashboard, including how to interact with each tab and proposal links. The technical aspects included maintaining a 1920x1080px screen format. In keeping with “quick,” I limited the video to approximately 2 minutes and 15 seconds.
Step 3 | Record the video
After practicing with my storyboard script, I recorded the screen capture and instructional voice-over simultaneously using Camtasia in one take. Some errors occurred, but I paused and repeated the correction. While the voice-over and screen capture were not always synced, I knew I could correct this in post production. In total, the screen recording process took approximately 5 minutes.
Step 4 | Edit and annotate
After recording, I continued with Camtasia to remove errors and align voice-over with the screen capture. Afterwards, I imported intro and outro graphics into Track 1, included transitions, and utilized an overlay to highlight areas of the screen capture. Finally, I imported the audio track into Audition to apply a series of personally owned plugins for audio cleanup.
Complete video
The video only took a few seconds to export, due in part to the minimalist nature of the effects and content. The final video, along with others in the series, will be uploaded to a university wide SharePoint site for easy access. Working with Camtasia for the first time revealed it is an easy to learn interface for those unfamiliar with more robust screen capture and video editing software such as Adobe Premiere or Premiere Rush.