08.10

Recordings

What it is

A Recording is the actual product, captured at full fidelity. It shows how something works, step by step, without editorial adjustment. The question it answers: how does this work? Clarity is the only job.

Recordings exist in three forms. A screengrab is a single captured frame: the simplest form, used where one moment is sufficient. A short clip is a focused sequence covering one task from start to finish, typically under 90 seconds. A full walkthrough covers a complete workflow, broken into chapters where needed, used in help documentation and partner training.

Recordings also include guided demos: screen captures with hotspot annotations that help the viewer understand what is happening without overexplaining. The same capture standards apply. Hotspot copy follows the voice standards in this section.

Recordings at Visualist

Every major product area has tasks worth recording. The priority is what is hardest to understand from a description alone: workflows with multiple steps, AI-assisted actions where the output matters, and features where the interface behavior is the differentiator.

Priority recording areas
Hub
Setting up a project, inviting a client, leaving comments on work, reviewing and approving deliverables. The full project lifecycle in steps.
Studio
Building a moodboard, using Magic features (Render, Fixer, Generation, Extender, Upscaler), creating a lookbook. Visual outputs where the process is as important as the result.
Concierge
Setting up and deploying a Concierge, reviewing what a client submitted, how intelligence feeds back to Vai. The two-sided flow: what the client sees and what the professional receives.
CRM
Moving a lead through pipeline stages, converting a lead to a booked client, reviewing client history.
Vai
Asking Vai a question, reviewing a Vai proposal, approving a Vai action. The professional-Vai interaction shown directly.
Bookings
Setting up a booking page, a client completing a booking, how the confirmed booking appears in the CRM.
Length by context
Knowledge base
1 to 2 minutes. One feature or workflow. Supplements written documentation. Clarity over speed.
Email
15 to 30 seconds. Short clip or GIF. One moment, not a walkthrough.
Trade shows
30 to 60 seconds. Highly visual, minimal text, few interactions. Viewers are standing and glancing. Show the single most impressive moment only.
Character
Full fidelity, no adjustment. Recordings show the product exactly as it is. No color grading, no effects, no post-production on the UI. If something looks wrong, fix it before capturing, not after.
Present Visualist in its best state. The UI must be fully loaded before capture begins. No broken elements, no spinner states, no empty library, no untitled documents. If bugs or visual gaps are present, work around them. Do not capture through them.
Cursor behavior. Move slowly and deliberately. Linger for one second after each action (clicking a button, saving, creating). Linger for two seconds at the end of a clip. Keep cursor movements direct: go where the action is, nowhere else.
Framing. Consider where the recording will be used before capturing. 4:3 for desktop web. Square or vertical for email and social — content must read at mobile size. Avoid frames that are extremely wide and short in height: they work in very few contexts. Adjust the browser window to achieve the right ratio before starting.
Browser setup. One tab open: the Visualist app. No browser errors or notifications visible. Extensions hidden except the Visualist extension where relevant. Bookmarks bar hidden. Capture on Arc or Safari. For browser extension content, use Chrome with a clean guest profile.
Content quality. No untitled documents, no placeholder names, no duplicate files in the library. Hub descriptions should be expressive: "Renovating the Gardenia House, Geneva" not "Project 1." Library images must be royalty-free and visually considered. Sticky notes must be correctly capitalized and punctuated. Color palettes must be visually pleasing.
Story structure. Every recording has three parts: a start (what the user is trying to do), an action (how Visualist makes it possible), and an outcome (the result or the state achieved). The recording stops when the story is complete.
Hotspot copy. Hotspots guide, they do not instruct. Highlight outcomes, not mechanics. Use action verbs that mirror what is happening on screen: Fix, Swap, Refine, Explore, Compare, Save. Never write "Click here to." Never explain what is already visually clear. Use a hotspot when it adds context the viewer needs; skip it when the action flows clearly without words.
Where it appears
Surface
Notes
Knowledge base
Primary context. One recording per article, supplementing written steps. 1 to 2 minutes. The viewer is trying to do something specific right now.
Email
Short clip or GIF only, 15 to 30 seconds. One moment. Used where showing the product in motion adds something a static Simplified cannot.
Trade shows
30 to 60 seconds. Highly visual, few interactions, the single most impressive moment. Loopable where possible.
Social
Not a standalone production context. Social clips are cut from existing Knowledge base, Email, or Trade show recordings for distribution. No recordings are produced specifically for social.
Never
In marketing hero sections or campaign contexts (use Translations or Simplifieds instead). Alongside editorial photography in the same frame. With real client data or real professional data. With color grading, effects, or any post-production treatment applied to the UI.
Do / Don't
Do
  • Capture the product fully loaded, in its best state
  • Move the cursor slowly and deliberately
  • Cover one task completely, start to finish
  • Frame for the intended context before capturing
  • Use expressive, royalty-free content throughout the UI
  • Structure every recording as a mini story: start, action, outcome
  • Use hotspot copy that highlights outcomes, not mechanics
Don't
  • Capture through bugs, broken elements, or loading states
  • Move the cursor quickly or meander between actions
  • Add color grading, effects, or post-production to the UI
  • Use real client names, project data, or financial figures
  • Leave untitled documents, placeholder names, or duplicate files visible
  • Use in marketing hero sections or campaign contexts
  • Write hotspot copy that says "Click here to" or states the obvious
Right / Wrong

Run every Recording through these tests before it enters the library. All must pass.

The story test

Does this recording have a clear start, action, and outcome? If it begins mid-task or ends before the result is visible, it is incomplete. The viewer should always see what they were working toward.

The UI quality test

Is every element in the UI fully loaded, correctly named, and visually clean? No broken avatars, no untitled documents, no duplicate files. If any element looks unfinished, the recording is not ready.

The pace test

Does the cursor move slowly enough to follow? Is there a one-second linger after each action? A two-second linger at the end? If the viewer cannot follow what is happening, the pace is too fast.

The content test

Is all content fictional and representative? Are project names, client names, and hub descriptions expressive and realistic? Is the library populated with royalty-free images that the ICP would actually save? No placeholder names, no generic descriptions.

The frame test

Is the frame ratio appropriate for the intended context? Will it read clearly at mobile size for email and social? Is the feature being highlighted actually visible and legible within the frame?

The register test

Is a Recording the right asset type here? If the goal is to communicate what the product knows, use a Translation. If the goal is to show product structure at a glance, use a Simplified. A Recording is for one question only: how does this work?

Production brief

Recordings are captured from the live product. The brief defines the product area, the specific task to show, the intended context, and the content to use. Settle these before opening Screen Studio or Storylane.

Brief structure
1. Product area
Hub, Studio, Concierge, CRM, Vai, Bookings, or another. Determines which account and product state to set up before capturing.
2. The task
The specific action being recorded, stated as a single sentence. "Setting up a Hub and inviting a client." "Using Render to visualize a room." "Deploying a Concierge for client intake." One task per recording.
3. Intended context
Knowledge base, email, or trade show. Determines frame ratio, length target, and whether hotspots are needed. Social clips are cut from these three, not produced separately.
4. Content setup
What fictional content needs to be in place before capturing begins? Project names, client names, hub descriptions, library images. All content must be prepared and checked before the first frame is captured.
5. Fixed parameters
One browser tab. No visible errors or notifications. Bookmarks bar hidden. Capture on Arc or Safari (Chrome for browser extension content). All content fictional. No real client data.
Check the library before capturing. If an approved Recording already covers the product area and task, use it. New Recordings are for genuine gaps.
All new Recordings require Founder review before entering the library. Do not use a Recording in any external context until it has been reviewed and approved.
Filename convention. recording-[sequence]-[slug], for example: recording-001-hub-project-setup or recording-002-studio-render. Context is tracked in the library metadata, not the filename.
The library

All approved Recordings, organized by product area. Check here before capturing new work.

Approved contexts are tracked per entry. The same recording may be approved for multiple contexts or a single one.

Product area
Task
Form
Length
Approved contexts
No approved Recordings yet. Add entries as assets are reviewed and approved.
Approved contexts: Knowledge baseEmailTrade showSocial (clipped from above)