Making videos usable
Video usability
With video becoming a bigger and bigger part of our digital communications, we need to consider the usability of videos just as seriously as the usability of our webpages.
The main points in this Nielsen Norman Group article about videos are as follows:
- There is no guarantee that someone will watch a video.
- Videos ask more of the users’ time than text because they are not easily scannable.
- Accessibility issues mean that information in a video should also be available as text.
- Users should have full control (for example avoid autoplaying videos).
- Include a clear call to action at the end of the video. Don’t let a video be a dead end.
- Tell the user what the video will be about before asking them to play it.
- Start strong. Avoid lengthy introductions (“even a few seconds can feel “lengthy” to a user”).