Only use images or video in a customer update when they explain something faster than text. An overview photo can demonstrate progress, a short screen recording can explain an action and an annotated image can show a location. Always include the key message in text and an accessible alternative.
Media makes a portal more human, but also increases file sizes, maintenance work and privacy risks. Start by asking which uncertainty the material removes, rather than saying “we want more video”.
Link each medium to one communication goal
Yindle Portal can attach photos and videos to project-wide or record-specific updates. An update can display several media files in a fixed order. This is particularly useful when the title and text already provide context.
Use a photo for a condition or result, a diagram for relationships and video for movement or sequence. A talking head reading the same paragraph adds little and is harder to scan quickly.
Before production, write one purpose statement: “After seeing this image, the customer knows where the new entrance is.” If that statement is not concrete, text is probably enough.
Make media useful without sound
Many customers view updates while travelling or in quiet surroundings. Caption spoken explanations and put the main message in the text. Do not leave essential instructions only in audio. Use descriptive alternative text for relevant images and avoid text embedded solely in pixels.
Limit a demonstration to one task. Start with the desired outcome, show the action and finish with the next step. A two-minute video covering four subjects is harder to search through than four short, named instructions.
Test controls with a keyboard and on mobile. Autoplay with sound is disruptive and uses data unexpectedly; provide a clear play button and poster image.
Worked example: a fictional renovation update
In this fictional example, renovation company GevelGoed announces that the temporary entrance will move on Monday. The title states the change. A photo shows the new entrance with a simple arrow; the text describes the relevant part of the address and the effective date. Residents do not need to open a video to understand the message.
For a complex ventilation grille, GevelGoed creates a 35-second video. It only shows opening, inserting the filter and closing. Captions and three written steps appear alongside it. A record with a different model receives its own instruction instead of the general video.
Use the media review
| Check | Approved when |
|---|---|
| Usefulness | The medium answers one concrete customer question |
| Reach | No other customers, number plates or records are visible |
| Accessibility | Key text, alt text or captions are present |
| Currency | The owner and replacement date are known |
| Technical quality | The file works on mobile and loads reasonably quickly |
| Next step | The desired action also appears in text outside the medium |
Pay particular attention to background information. An innocent construction photo may show names on a planning board. Use fictional or obscured data in media reused for marketing or instructions.
Manage the lifecycle
An outdated video can be more harmful than no video because customers follow an old interface or working method. Assign each file a content owner and review date. Do not remove it without checking which updates reference it.
Measure whether customers complete the intended task after viewing and which questions keep recurring. A low play rate is not necessarily bad if the text is already sufficient. Optimise for understanding, not watch time.
For large projects, agree on a naming convention too. A file called “IMG_4832.mov” is difficult to find later. Use the subject, date and, where needed, record scope in administration, while customers see a short, natural title. Do not retain source material indefinitely alongside the published version without a purpose.
An update with many photos needs curation. Choose one overview, one detail and perhaps one result. Ten almost identical images slow loading and make the main point less clear. Deliberately align their order with the text and check the crop on small screens.
Product demonstrations have an additional rule: use only dummy data and fictional names. Create a repeatable demo script so a new interface version can be recorded again without real accounts. Before publication, check notifications, the browser bar, download names and background tabs.
Images can also misrepresent an exception. A standard video about an action may not fit every model or record. Add a scope label or short condition alongside the media and provide the correct contact route when the situation differs.
See how updates and records come together in Yindle Portal and read the broader guide to a customer portal. To turn one update into clear visual material, choose the right medium with Yindle.