Flash & Flash Apps: April 2007 Archives
As you know, Flash is the most powerful cross-platform, interactive development tool available to web developers today. You need to use this tool correctly, and I want to point out the three common misuses of Flash.
<strong>Using Flash Intros</strong>
In Flash’s early days, loading times for an introduction animation could be murderous. Even though today many more people have better connections, a Flash intro is still bad practice. When a user comes to your site there is usually a purpose. It is not to sit and watch an intro that is keeping them from obtaining your content. Most Flash intros do have a “Skip Intro” button. Your first time users will have no clue how long your intro will be and most likely will skip it altogether. This defeats the purpose of having an intro in the first place.
<strong>Creating Entire Sites In Flash</strong>
I have seen some extremely impressive Flash sites. And as much as I love Flash, I know it is not right to have an all-Flash site. First off, if you are not using dynamic content in your Flash site you have little to no chance of being seen by search engines. Second, your site should be 508 compliant. Your content needs to be accessible to people that use screen readers. You can’t give up substance for Flash.
<strong>
Animations Just For The Sake Of It</strong>
Gratuitous animations are a huge problem. Using animation just to show off is a terrible use of Flash. It can be distracting to the user, and when used improperly if takes away from the content in the site.
Think twice before using Flash in all the wrong ways.
<strong>Using Flash Intros</strong>
In Flash’s early days, loading times for an introduction animation could be murderous. Even though today many more people have better connections, a Flash intro is still bad practice. When a user comes to your site there is usually a purpose. It is not to sit and watch an intro that is keeping them from obtaining your content. Most Flash intros do have a “Skip Intro” button. Your first time users will have no clue how long your intro will be and most likely will skip it altogether. This defeats the purpose of having an intro in the first place.
<strong>Creating Entire Sites In Flash</strong>
I have seen some extremely impressive Flash sites. And as much as I love Flash, I know it is not right to have an all-Flash site. First off, if you are not using dynamic content in your Flash site you have little to no chance of being seen by search engines. Second, your site should be 508 compliant. Your content needs to be accessible to people that use screen readers. You can’t give up substance for Flash.
<strong>
Animations Just For The Sake Of It</strong>
Gratuitous animations are a huge problem. Using animation just to show off is a terrible use of Flash. It can be distracting to the user, and when used improperly if takes away from the content in the site.
Think twice before using Flash in all the wrong ways.
