How can I explain an unfamiliar interface with a slide-based screen demonstration?

Start with the viewer’s goal, not a tour of every button. Write the task as one plain sentence, then divide it into meaningful moments: where to begin, what to enter or change, how to review it, and how to finish. Give each moment its own slide or visual state when the interface changes substantially.

For each slide, answer three questions: What should viewers notice? What should they do? Why does this step matter? Show a crop or simplified view that keeps the relevant control in context. Add one focus cue, such as a numbered marker, outline, or brief label, and avoid highlighting several competing areas at once.

For example, suppose you are demonstrating a fictional task-management app and the goal is to create a task. Treat the app name and labels as placeholders; replace them with the interface your audience will see.

Here is a four-slide storyboard. The interface and wording are illustrative placeholders, not claims about a particular product.

1. Orient: Show an overview with the starting area marked. Narration: “We’re going to create one task. First, find [Tasks] in the main navigation.” Focus cue: a marker beside [Tasks].
2. Start: Show the relevant area after opening [Tasks], with [New task] highlighted. Narration: “Choose [New task] to open the entry form.” Focus cue: outline that control; dim unrelated areas if useful.
3. Enter and review: Show the form with only the important fields labeled. Narration: “Enter [task name] and [due date]. Check that the details match what you intend.” Focus cue: reveal the fields in the order viewers use them. Mark any filled-in values as samples.
4. Finish and confirm: Show the final action and a completion area, if the interface has one. Narration: “Select [Save]. Look for [visible completion cue] to confirm the task appears.” Focus cue: move from the action to the cue.

Keep each slide to one main action and one reason or check. If the screen is crowded, crop it, enlarge the relevant area, or split the step rather than making the whole interface too small to read.

Use consistent landmarks and describe a control’s purpose as well as its label. For example, say, “Open the task list using [Tasks] in the main navigation.” If a label or layout may vary, say “[Tasks, or the equivalent task-list area]” and mark any screenshot or wording as a placeholder rather than implying every viewer sees the same screen.

Make transitions easy to follow: keep the same crop when possible, move the focus cue to the next target, and add a short bridge such as, “Now that the form is open…” If the layout changes, include a small orientation label like “Task form.” Use fictional sample content, such as [Sample task], rather than personal or confidential details.

Use this template for each slide:

Slide [number] — [step name] Viewer goal: [What they should accomplish] Show: [Screen, crop, or simplified state] Focus cue: [One control, field, or result] Narration: “To [goal], [action]. Then [what to check or why it matters].” If screens differ: [Placeholder wording or alternate landmark]

Example: Slide 2 — Open the form. Viewer goal: reach task entry. Show: task-list area. Focus cue: [New task]. Narration: “To start a task, select [New task]. The entry form should appear next.” If screens differ: “Choose the control your version uses to create a task.”

Before presenting, rehearse the narration against the slides. Check that each cue points to the control named, each transition explains the next screen, and the last slide shows a sensible completion check. If a viewer’s interface differs, direct them to the equivalent label or area rather than suggesting the placeholder must match their screen.