Re: FLASH: New Macromedia.com site

[Webmaster calypsostudios.com]

Michael,


I find the "update" easier to navigate than the earlier one. In fact, I find

that I have to click less to find things than before. I find that the

navigation is cleaner, simpler and more straightforward. The overall design

is closer to a minimalist approach -- clean, solid, straightforward and

balanced w/o being too over the top.


What you stated about rollovers w/Nav 3 may very well be true, but it's

doubtful that MM may be worrying about supporting an audience which uses 3.x

browsers as the vast majority of users out there now are surfing on 4.x,

5.x, and 6.x browsers (navigator 6.1 preview).


Looking at it from a business perspective, it was probably a smarter move.

There are two sides of the coin to taking Flash out of the site as a main

element. 


1) Taking out an overwhelming use of Flash could very well say that Flash is

appropriate for certain types of sites. However, corporate sites which need

regular updating is not the best fit. This doesn't say Flash is a bad

program, but rather that it's suited for certain types of sites and certain

types of audiences. I would challenge that any program or programming

language is the perfect solutions for every situation.


2) It could say that Flash is a weak program and shouldn't be used. That not

enough browsers support it and it shouldn't be used -- I doubt that is the

case.


Keep in mind there are many things which influence these decisions.


--

Todd R. Warfel

iDirector

Ucentric Systems


www.ucentric.com

P: 978-897-7503

F: 978-897-9980


>

From: Michael Penney <mplistbigtimeweb [dot] com>

>

Reply-To: flasherchinwag [dot] com

> Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 14:18:46 -0700

>

To: <flasherchinwag [dot] com>

> Subject: Re: FLASH: New Macromedia.com site

> 

> ??? How is the new design in anyway a 'minimalist' approach? They have

> replaced the access everything from one dynamic menu approach of the old

> site with a click multiple times and load various pages, then scroll around

> those pages to find the link you want approach. By my definition of the

> term, neither the old site nor the new one was/is minimalist, IMO the old

> site was elegant and user friendly, the new site is clunky and back-end

> programmer friendly (perhaps). The new site is also 'no plug-ins' friendly,

> though you better have a new browser (with Nav 3 for instance, most of the

> rollovers and animations don't work, making the blue-on-blue scheme even

> more unfriendly than before). Whether yanking the Flash from the home page

> was a good move for Macromedia or not, I can't see how it could possibly be

> good for the business of a Flash designer. It also says bad things about

> Macromedia's middleware products and programming if the old site was less

> updateable _because_ it used Flash extensively....

> 

>> I went to the site yesterday and had no problems either viewing or

>> navigating the site. I think the new design is a great improvement over the

>> old. It's more updated, easy to navigate and the minimalist approach is

>> great w/o being too sparse.

>> 

>> 

>> --

>> Todd R. Warfel

>> iDirector

> 

> 

> =====>

> Michael Penney

> Sharpener of the Cutting Edge

> BigTimeWeb.Com

> 

> 

> 

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flasher is generously supported by...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     flashforward2000 and the Flash(tm) Film Festival

 July 24-26, 2000, NEW YORK CITY, Hammerstein Ballroom

                  www.flashforward2000.com

   Produced by United Digital Artists and lynda.com

 Sponsored by Macromedia, Adobe Systems, Fusion, Inc, AtomFilms,

           shockwave.com and Electric Rain.

 1.877.4.FLASH.4  or (1.805.640.6679 outside the US and Canada)

 Register before June 30 and save $200!!-- www.flashforward2000.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email

helpchinwag [dot] com