Re: To Flash Or Not To Flash...

by Nathan <natelyle(at)chartermi.net>

 Date:  Thu, 25 Apr 2002 01:24:55 -0400
 To:  HWG Techniques Email List <hwg-techniques(at)hwg.org>
 References: 
  todo: View Thread, Original
>Design issues? Use it only where it provides value to the
>visitor.

That's often something the client needs to be convinced of... :->   I've
found that most tend to want a site based on what they think is "cool"
(even if they wouldn't use the word) rather than what would make their site
effective in what they'd like to do with their business.

>Don't use it if the only reason for it is the egos of
>the developers. Definitely don't use it if it interferes with
>usability.

I've seen a few sites now that use only Flash, and while I do like some of
the bells and whistles (sometimes quite literally) that Flash can give
navigation - there seems to *me* to be more confusion involved in finding
my way around. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to single click, double
click... will a menu slide out from over here or there, how do I bookmark
something deep in the site... and tons more. While I think Jakob Nielsen's
site is sort of ugly, he *does* make many a good point about usability.
<grin>

>Hitting that unnecessary Flash intro made me decide
>against the new service.

I asked my wife what she thought about this sort of thing tonight and her
comment was "if I see something saying 'loading', goodbye! I'm outta
there."  That does seem to be another downside to the extensive flash
sites... lots of loading things going on that seems to take longer than a
non-flash site with a decent amount of graphics.

~Nathan Lyle

E-mail: natelyle(at)chartermi.net
Web: http://www.nathanlyle.com
Phone: (906)485-4806

"A good style should show no sign of effort. What is written should seem a
happy accident." - Somerset Maugham

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