Keep UI discussions on target with FireShot

In the beginning, we programmed computers with toggle switches and punched cards. Next came the command line interface (CLI) and today’s graphical user interace (GUI). Before long, there will be brain computer interaces (BCI), but for today, we’re faced with GUIs.

Anyone involved in software development, training, or support spends a great deal of time discussing what is on, or what will go on, a computer screen. A well-designed set of screens expose not only the application’s features, they steer users toward using the right feature at the right time. A very well designed application will even display screens with error messages that actually pinpoint the problem.

Many UI discussions take place remotely or asynchronously. The other end of the discussion is either not in the room or not available while the display is on your screen. If someone is not looking over your shoulder, an actual screen shot can be the best way to get your point across.

On the Windows platform, Ctrl+PrntScrn and Paint is still a screen-capture option, but adding comments to a screen in Paint is too much like work. A number of screen capture utilities have rushed in to fill the gap, including SnagIt and FireShot, among many others.

I like FireShot for it’s simplicity. It’s available for FireFox and Internet Explorer. The easiest way to get started is to snag the free FireFox plugin at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5648/. (I’ve never been able to get IE versions to work myself.)

Once installed, FireShot puts a friendly [S] icon at the end of the address bar. Select the icon (or pressing the hotkey Ctrl+Alt+Z) and FireShot will capture the contents of your browser’s screen, either the current view or full page. With any capture, you have the options of saving, editing, copying, printing, or emailing. You can even open up the capture in an external editor.

I find the internal FireShot editor intuitive to use. It’s easy to overlay the screen capture with arrows and boxes with your own comments, and save the result.

One key feature lacking in the free version is the ability to save files for future editing. A project file format, and much more is part of the professional version, Screenshot Studio ($60).

Screen shots are indispensable when submitting bug reports or creating training manuals for any browser-based application. If you don’t have a screen capture utility on board now, fire up Mozilla and snag yourself a copy of FireShot.