RE: FLASH: more Flash usability

[Bradshaw, Brian]

That Sony site is pretty cool. I agree that it is a good use of Flash. When

more sites start using Flash in this manner, the non-creative people using

the web will begin to accept Flash productions more readily.


The creativity demonstrated in all these sites is awe-inspiring to me. It is

some incredible art work and programming. But it should be realized that not

all money-making enterprises on the web, or all users on the web see the

value in that much bandwidth usage vs. concise, easy to use web sites. When

someone doesn't see the point of something, take it with a grain of salt.

All of us have different goals in using and delivering on the web.


However, it would have been nice to know I had to click the camera to get

off the loading screen.


Laura, I consider you a breath of fresh, design-understanding, air on this

list.


-----Original Message-----

From: Laura Hamilton [

mslauraviviente [dot] com (mailto:mslauraviviente [dot] com)

]

Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 2:38 PM

To:

flasherchinwag [dot] com

Subject: FLASH: more Flash usability



love death wrote:

Hey Jakob Neilson, your turn to criticize........just love you people to do

this CRITICIZE

so far I'm not a conservative designer, especially on using FLASH!! cause

the TRUTH is out there.

FLASH could let you do whatever you want, especially it is an designer

personal website,

it is just a manifestation tool of creativity.

-----------------------------------

Hmmm, I'm not sure what that meant, but I would like to make two points:


a) I haven't even read that Jakob Neilsen article yet, although I have it

bookmarked for future browsing. That opinion came directly from me.


I have heard over and over from people in the web industry lately how Flash

is crap, there's no point to it, it's just eye candy, it makes a site

completely unusable, etc. There is a huge backlash against Flash going on

right now in many companies because in most people's experience it is used

for a splash screen with fading/zooming text and animations and that's it.

The only other experience that they have with Flash is that from sites like

love death's that look cool but frustrate people because they are

confusingly content-free and impossible to navigate.


This *kills* me, because I know the possibilities of Flash are endless, and

to see so many people dismiss it or denigrate it is chilling.


b) love death, if you want a site check, be prepared to deal with any

criticisms that come back your way. I told you what I honestly thought. If

you don't want that, don't ask for it here on a Flash list. Ask your friends

and family if you want a guaranteed 100% warm fuzzy response.


On a final note, here is an example of a beautiful, effective, use of Flash,

it's one that I show to refute people who say Flash isn't useful or usable.

http://www.sonystyle.com/flashmovies/movie2.html

And yes, it's still very creative!


Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't graphic design supposed to be all about

creative communication of information?  The above site takes perfect

advantage of all of Flash's capabilities.


Laura Hamilton

Web Design/Site Usability Consulting



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

flasher is generously supported by...

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

   flashforward2000 and the Flash(tm) Film Festival

 November 27-29, 2000, LONDON, National Film Theatre


   Produced by United Digital Artists and lynda.com

-Sponsored by Macromedia, Adobe Systems and Apple Computer

-http://www.flashforward2000.com  or UK tel. +44 (0870) 751 1526

       Register before November 10 and save �200

            http:// www.flashforward2000.com

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

  To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

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

helpchinwag [dot] com