Show, don’t tell

Having worked as a web developer for a while, I’ve noticed that sometimes I’d have to talk for an hour on the phone, or write a long email, to explain a feature that can be explained very easily if only you could show it to the client on the computer screen. However, it’s often not practical to travel and meet in person every time something has to be explained or decided.

That’s why I’ve discovered I can save a lot of time and make my life easier by using two simple tools that allow me to show pictures and videos to clients instead of having to put everything in words, which may often be technical and incomprehensible.

Awesome Screenshot for Chrome: it lets you capture a selected part of the web page you’re viewing, or the whole page, and then you can add drawings and notes to it. Finally, you can copy the resulting image to the clipboard, save it as a file, or put it directly online.

CamStudio for Windows: it lets you select a part of your computer screen and record a video of everything that happens there. You can optionally record a voice-over too. The application is a bit technical, you have to figure out the right settings in order to make good videos; but once you get the hang of it, it’s very simple and powerful. I usually upload the videos as unlisted on Youtube and then give the secret link to my clients.