Re: Flash Crawls

[stumpy]

>Testing on lower systems is indeed the way to test. However It is my opinion

>that what a designer

>develops for should really be in balance with what the client is selling or

>saying.


I agree - know your audience. 


This will be an ongoing debate. Who do you build for the person with a

great machine, T1 and all the latest gizmos or someone on a low-end

machine, 14.4 that hasn't upgrade their browser from 1.0, not to mention

AOL. I think you determine the audience and find the happy medium. Make

sure it doesn't crash the older stuff and let the viewers know that they're

missing out if they don't upgrade.


And make sure you know your clients set-up. Nothing more painful then

building a beautiful 4.0 site and finding out later that your client is

using Netscape 1.0 or AOL 2 with graphic compression turned on!





>If a client is selling a product that caters to the upper class, then he

>might be advised by the designer

>to have some fairly detailed and processor hungry animation to "knock their

>socks off". Of course

>this depends on the design itself. The client might not be as concerned in

>what experience the "486er" might have

>since theres usually a good bet your average "joe blow" 486er isnt the kind

>of guy willing to give his credit card over the

>internet, much less buy anything expensive for that matter.

>

>You cant consider the 486er and count out the people who have paid out the

>ass for a p300.

>

>In the multi-media age there arent very many agents so a freelance

>multi-media designer might find himself

>as his own agent. The unexperienced can really have a number done on them by

>the client if this is usually the case.

>However people starting in this industry as freelance must learn their

>capabilities, how to sell the work and who to sell it to.

>If the clients product is expensive and they have a large budget, charge

>accordingly, but you should not limit

>their product or service to the 486ers of the world. Distribute the animation

>and processor occupancy based

>on what the product or service is and what clientele it caters to. Theres a

>fine balance here. I find myself animating way

>over the limits of what a typical p90 might handle and may have to re

>evaluate how much animation is happening

>at a time. Flash is not a toaster and where not designing for television.

>Dont forget about baud rate too.

>

>I'm finding these simple steps when designing for the web.

>

>1.Whats the client selling or trying to say? Whos he trying to sell or say it

>to? How much will his budget provide to

>sell or say it?

>

>This will tell you how much freedom you have in the design phase.

>

>2.Design a storyboard and draw the design and interactivity on paper, before

>you even open a authoring program.

>

>This will give you a starting and stopping point and everything laid in front

>of you to make the actuall designing

>much easier. It will also give your client an idea of what hes buying.

>

>3.Never under estimate the time it will take you to design and create the

>site.(So many freelancers

>make this mistake and when they've added up the hours how long it took them

>and what they where paid for the

>job, they could've been working at a water park drinking pinia coladas,

>whatching pretty girls in bikinis all day!

>for what they've charged the client. Always get payed a % up front

>and always do what you tell the client your going to do.

>

>I know Ive gotten off the "animation vs. processor thing, but it all adds up

>to what your designing FOR.

>

>By the way Colin, I visited you site lately, very nice, mucho thanks from

>this flasher!

>

>Adios,

>

>-DG-

>

>

>

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Stumpy

Director of Design Services

Edison Media Works, Inc.

stumpyedisonworks [dot] com

www.edisonworks.com


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