Flash Design For Websites

By Author: Sean Johannson
Total Articles: 3495
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Web sites that are based on Flash are very similar to expensive sports cars, in one aspect at least. Every time one has a look at them, there is a slight tinge of jealousy that wishes you could lay your hands upon one. Also, that yours isn't as good as this one.

What is Flash? Flash is a program designed to create, edit and animate vector graphics.

Let's get going by mentioning what all one can do with knowledge of Flash:
· Intros with Flash and websites that enable Flash videos.
· Logos that have animations made with Flash.
· Flash Banners and Advertisements
· Flash CD presentations - Corporate Profiles, Business Cards
· Complete Flash Sites with Flash navigation, animation etc.
· semi- Flash sites
· Database driven Flash applications with Action scripts.

Tools that enable use of Flash:
· Macromedia Flash MX 2004
· Macromedia Director
· Adobe after Effects
· Adobe Premiere

Advantages of Flash:
· Flash movies load much faster and allow inter- activity
· Flash movies can use more than ...
... 256 colors.

Limitations of Flash:
· Loading time
· Plug in installations
· Search engine indexing

Keeping these limitations in perspective, still there are methods to develop Flash in a way that it would not be detrimental to the site.

Animations can be created using Flash are comparatively easy, and also are cost effective as compared to the traditional techniques. Keeping these in mind, it still depends on the chosen content and style.

Mostly, these animations are made by artists who work individually or as amateurs. This requires knowledge in technical areas and creates a work that is noteworthy, by the use of Flash design software.

Flash enables the sites graphic rich and hence makes an otherwise static site appear more interesting to a visitor. Flash enablement makes sites more and more interactive and hence, more informative. This way, the business goals of the website owner are put across in a seemingly attractive format, with pictures and other Flash developed animations, thereby proving to be beneficial over plain text.

An advise, although is that for some visitors who, for some reason, do not like Flash or do not have it enabled on their computers, please supply an additional HTML page as well. Both these pages must be connected to a common database and both must be enabled to draw the content from the same.

Nowadays, people who do not find themselves in a position to develop Flash programs themselves are outsourcing it to professionals. This enables them to concentrate on other business areas.