Product demo or product tour: what does the viewer need?

'How do I assign this request?' asks for a causal sequence: identify an item, choose an owner and inspect the saved assignment. 'Where are requests, teams and reports?' asks for orientation. It can be answered without changing any product state.

An illustrative fictional help-desk product has an inbox, request detail panel, team directory and reporting area. Those four regions could appear in either format. Their presence alone does not determine whether the video is a demo or a tour; the connection between them does.

For an evaluator asking about ownership, build a 30-second illustrative demo around sample request Q-027, 'Update delivery note.' Establish a configured account and a user permitted to assign requests. The ending must show a saved owner, not merely an open menu.

• 0–5 seconds: show the unassigned sample request in the inbox. Copy: 'Give this request an owner.'
• 5–11 seconds: open Q-027 and hold its subject and Unassigned field together so identity is preserved.
• 11–20 seconds: open the assignee control, select Example teammate and perform the real save action shown in the supplied workflow.
• 20–26 seconds: inspect the saved owner on Q-027. Use the product's actual confirmation state.
• 26–30 seconds: return to the inbox with the same request and owner visible. Copy: 'Assignment confirmed.'

For a new colleague who needs orientation, use a separate 30-second illustrative tour. Keep a stable navigation frame and explain the purpose of three regions. Do not simulate request assignment just to add motion; the viewer's question is where to go.

• 0–6 seconds: show the full workspace. Copy: 'Your request workspace.'
• 6–13 seconds: highlight Inbox and its list. Copy: 'Find incoming work.'
• 13–20 seconds: open the team directory. Copy: 'Check who handles each area.'
• 20–26 seconds: show the reports area with sample data labeled. Copy: 'Inspect request patterns.'
• 26–30 seconds: return to the overview with the three navigation labels visible. Copy: 'Start in Inbox.'

The demo passes when a viewer can explain the assignment action and recognize its confirmation. The tour passes when the viewer knows which region to open for each purpose. These are review questions, not measured claims about either video's performance.

If you need both, make orientation a short opening followed by one task, or split the material into two videos. A hybrid that changes subjects halfway through needs an explicit transition: 'Now use the inbox to assign a request.' Remove unrelated regions rather than compressing all four into an unreadable montage.