[thelist] Please tell me why I hate Flash

[Hazlitt Krog]

Flash is frequently misused on business sites. If you go to visit a 
bunch of sites where they have focused on Flash as the technical 
platform for the entire site, and you disable your Flash plug-in, you 
will be "shocked" (pun intended) at how many sites don't have proper 
Flash detection along with an alternate non-Flash version of the 
site. SWF file optimization and loading is often done poorly as well. 
This is developer arrogance/ignorance at it's worst, and can make for 
horrible user experiences for people without the plug-in, or for 
those with an old version of the plug-in, or people on 28.8 dial-ups, 
etc.

I think Flash is best used on business sites in two ways:

  1) in a pop-up window for things like:
     a) a stand alone business demo
     b) a linear advertisement with a soundtrack
     c) a stand-alone application interface
     d) a nav or control panel

  2) integrated into the design as a component of an HTML page.

There are a lot of good examples of #1 around. <plug>An example that 
my company worked on can be found at 
<http://www.atomz.com/services/atomz_publish/index.htm>, click on 
"Find out more by viewing our Flash Presentation!"</plug>. Atomz has 
told me they are getting a phenomenal response rate from this 
business demo. Note that the rest of their site is very a 
straightforward HTML design that loads super fast and looks the same 
on every browser under the sun (more or less). <disclaimer>The client 
is responsible for the flawed Flash detection code.</disclaimer> :-)

MarchFIRST, who sadly seems to be going down the tubes, used method 
#2 effectively on their corporate site. There are a lot of things 
right about this agency-style site. MarchFIRST.com is still available 
as of this writing, but who knows for how long. Here's a page on the 
site with an impressive example of a strong business communications 
use of Flash animation and interactivity embedded in an HTML table 
cell:
http://www.marchfirst.com/solutions/solution_offer_01.asp

Interestingly, their Flash detection only works properly if you go 
through the front door first. So, if you go straight to the URL above 
without Flash installed, you will get a big blank box instead of the 
non-flash GIF and JPEG graphics and JavaScript rollover stuff.

It is a challenge use Flash and still maintain what is considered to 
be a good user experience. Since it is such a flexible creative tool, 
Flash encourages artists and developers to push the envelopes of 
design and interaction. This is good for the evolution of the web, 
but frequently bad for mainstream folks who really just need the 
sites they visit to load fast, be searchable, scannable, easy to 
understand, and easy to get the sweet spots fast. Flash 
implementations frequently run counter these basic principles of good 
user experience.

So, don't hate Flash Adam, just pity the fool who implements it badly.


Hazlitt <also delurking to make my first thelist post> Krog
  ::
  ::  hazlitt krog  //  hazlitt.krog at zada.com  //  ceo
  ::
  ::  zada  //  -build dot dreams-  //  http://zada.com/
  ::
  ::  sausalito  //  usa  //  415-339-0300
  ::


At 4:49 PM -0500 4/18/01, Adam Loper wrote:
>Hi all, this is my first post here.
>
>I'm the web guy for a small advertising agency in Oshkosh, WI. My boss
>called me in to his office to show me yet another fancy Flash web site. I've
>told him time and again that I don't like Flash, it's slow for modem users,
>it doesn't place well in search engines...yada yada yada.