Lots Of Screen Shots

As mentioned in the FatBook topic, it is common for modern computer documentation to be filled with screenshots, demonstrating how to use every field and control of every window provided by an application.

This leads to thick documents with little information. I have to leave my books on my bookshelf -- I can't carry them around with me because they are so heavy. Printing out online documentation uses reams of paper.

There is a significant cost related to keeping documents in sync with the software they describe. If the documentation is being developed at the same time that the software is being developed, it is possible that screen layouts will be changed at the last minute, requiring last-minute changes to the documentation. When a new version of the application becomes available, a whole new set of screenshots must be generated and inserted into the document. This leads developers to avoid improving screen layouts or adding valuable features due to the cost of updating the documentation.

I've found that when design documents include lots of screenshots, it leads reviewers to concentrate on trivial cosmetic matters ("Should there be an icon there?", "Should this label be changed?", "I think the font should be bigger.") rather than upon architectural matters.

I've decided that, when allowed, I will avoid putting screenshots into any of the non-user documents I write. I can see the usefulness of screenshots for end-user documentation, although I don't think every single dialog box needs to be illustrated. And when an application has a SelfDocumentingUserInterface, screenshots can be left out of the user manual.

-- KrisJohnson

I can relate to your frustration from both sides of the fence. Even for user documentation, screenshots are often superfluous. When you go the book store, you can scan the books for screenshots, and often the fluffiest, most useless books have the most screenshots. The one exception I've seen is some of the IDG books that are completely visual, and almost solely based on screenshots. They're actually quite effective. So, I guess craftmanship sort of trumps the graphics-vs-text debate.

As a producer of documentation, I've wrestled with maintaining screenshots. Even with good tools, it's tedious.

-- SteveHowell

Like any documentation technique, it can be misused or overly-used. Used well and in the right spot is quite helpful.

Are we looking at a documentation AntiPattern?