How to Create an Interactive Demo for a Multi-Role Workflow
Published October 21, 2026 · By Kate Steinmeyer · Interactive Demo Guides
A multi-role interactive demo can show how one task moves across a team, but the viewer must know whose screen they are seeing at every step. Build the story around a shared record and explicit handoffs.
Define the actors and their decisions
List each role, what they can see, and what they can change. Choose a task that genuinely crosses roles. Avoid showing every permission just because the product supports them; the demo should answer a buyer question such as “What happens after a requester submits this?”
Use one fictional record across the path. Give it a stable name or ID so viewers can follow it when the interface changes from requester to manager to administrator.
Mark each handoff clearly
Before switching views, state the trigger: “The manager receives the request.” Label the next screen with the active role. If the demo uses a simulation rather than a real role switch, make that clear. A viewer should not have to infer that the permissions changed because the navigation looks different.
For a request approval, a requester creates the item, a manager makes a decision, and the requester sees the result. The administrator may be relevant only if setup affects routing. Keep that setup in a separate branch if it interrupts the core path.
Test the story from every entry point
Some viewers will open a shared deep link halfway through. Add enough context to each branch to explain the role and task. Verify that role-specific controls match the current product and that a viewer cannot click into an impossible state.
The branching guide helps decide whether to branch or split the experience. This article focuses on continuity across roles.
Map one handoff across roles
For a fictional approval task, create one path with three views:
| Role | Sees | Can do | Handoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Requester | Own request and status | Submit or revise | Sends to manager |
| Manager | Assigned pending requests | Approve or send back | Returns decision |
| Auditor | Decision record | Review history | No editing action |
At each switch, label the role and why the viewer moved. A “Next” click in a demo should not silently grant requester access to the manager's queue. If the product requires separate sign-in or configuration, represent that boundary with a transition card. Ask a reviewer to describe which actor made the decision after playing the path; confusion here can misstate the product's permission model.