Well, I actually won't formulate any questions in this thread, I just want write down some thoughts, critics and suggestions for developing a flash site.
Also I'm a flash newcomer i've seen many flash sites and concepts. I traveled through many navigation systems, animations and content and I just want to write down some thoughts that might help you to find your own personal style and concept of developing your flash presence.
The concept behind your website
When writing a flash site we always should think about why we devlope it and especially for what we develop it. I entered many sites where I couldn't figure out why they did actually exist. I saw a hugh variety of animation and special effects without any clue what they were made for. Surely, we want to impress our visitors, we want to express our flash skills. Well, that's o.k., that's not the point I'm talking about. I mean the general fact, that many flash sites do not communicate with their visitors.
How a visitor watches your website
Maybe that's the way a new surfer (maybe internet newbie)would experience a flash site:
When I visit a flash site, I know nothing about it. I"m entering and then I'm waiting for information that helps me to understand the structure of this website so that I can navigate through it. After I have entered a flash site, I need some kind of instructions or information or something that tells me what to do or what to wait for. I'm feeling very confused when nothing happens or when I can't do anyhing.
It's important to lead your visitor through your content. Try to eliminate any confusion your visitor may have. Tell him what will happen, tell what he has to do or what he has to wait for.Explain him how to navigate and where these options are on your website. I personally hate it to search for navigation menus. Sometimes it happened that I spent several minutes to find the navigation system on a flash site.
The Intro - a way to establish structure on your flash site
Many designers use the intro to describe the reasons why their website exists. I think that's a good way for starting communication with the visitor. Intro means introduction and introduction means to describe the visitor the identity of the flash site. When we introduce ourselves, we inform someone about us. Many intros fail this aspect of information. There's much motion and special effects, blinking and flashing, but their's no information provided to the surfer by words or sentences. We could say that words and sentences describe information and animation describes the gesture which comes along with it. To much gesture (motion) destroys the aspect of information and to much information without motion is not very attractiv. Many designers just use catchwords in their introduction like "webdesign" or "flash development" or something like that. I think that's just to general, because their are just to many websites providing "webdesign" and "flash development".
The ways to make a flash site unique
When creating a flash site we should have an eye on it's individuality. A website can also be seen as a person communicating with the visitor. The more this person or website expresses indviduality, the more the visitor is interested in it.
A flash site uses 3 main aspects to express individualityB]
attraction, communication, interaction
attraction (graphics, design layout,),
communication (words, sentences, messages, hints, content) combined with animation (gesture, character) and emotion (sound, music),
interaction (navigation, interactivity, music, downloads, links etc.).
I will write more soon. Hopefully I could help someone a little bit for now.
P.S.: Please respond if this thread is useful and intresting to you.
Developing a flash site, Part1: Some thoughts
. Thanks
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