Prototypes and screencasting

pro·to·type

1. An original type, form, or instance serving as a basis or standard for later stages.
2. An original, full-scale, and usually working model of a new product or new version of an existing product.
3. An early, typical example.

After numerous crashes and bug-fixes at the end of my latest project, I'd like to share an important lesson I picked up on the way. The latest screencast I was doing with Camtasia 4 became very heavy near the end, causing numerous crashes. My partner suggested creating a prototype before advancing any further to see the best way to complete the project.

The prototype took about 4 hours to complete, but what it saved in time and effort was well worth it. I was able to see how the final result would best be presented using an example that was simplified in content yet similar in form. Following this process spared me the crashes in my real project and helped me build a better tutorial. That makes prototype the new word of the day here.