Flash Powered Web Sites

Adobe's Flash software has a huge presence on the web. The reasons for using Flash are compelling. To begin with, FlashPlayer is the the most accepted multimedia internet plug-in found on the web and has the highest number of installations. Advanced streaming video content delivery, such as what is found today on YouTube, Hulu, etc. is a big sell point. From its' inception, Flash has always provided a means to produce and deliver engaging animated presentations.


I learned to author in Flash over ten years ago. At that time, I saw Flash as a means of deploying visual emphasis to the main message. My primary goal was to provide small amounts of high quality animation to web pages, being careful not to override the main message (and remembering the "golden rule" of design .... Form Follows Function).

An interesting trend has emerged over the years where entire web sites became based entirely on Flash technology. I still have reservations about designing a web site in this manner, and will list my concerns:

• Load times can be excruciatingly long. Even with a broadband hookup, I sometimes find myself waiting 30-60 seconds for an opening page to load. Takes me back to the 14.4 baud analog modem days.
• Flash source code is often kept in the hands of the designer, and not the client. If a simple revision is needed, the client is dependent on the designer. If the designer becomes unavailable, the client is stuck. If the designer disappears, the web site has to be re-engineered, adding unnecessary cost. By comparison, any competent web designer can oftentimes modify a previously designed HTML-based site or page with little difficulty or fanfare.
  
• Flash-based sites are extremely complex and labor intensive. Translation = more expensive than a conventional web site to produce.
• Unlike HTML based pages, text cannot be selected and copied via a browser, nor can graphics be downloaded. If one is using the web for research, Flash sites present special hurdles when trying to compile data.
  
• Flash sites are not easily search engine optimized, unless their entire textual content is embedded within the Flash code. It's not simple, nor is it elegant.
• Flash Players become obsolete with maddening frequency, requiring constant upgrading every few months. Newer content can't be played on older players. In contrast, ten year old web browsers can still read most straight HTML content currently being developed, with few exceptions. 

I continue to use small amounts of Flash content on most of my client's sites in the form of animations and video feeds. Importantly, I author these graphics to be compatible with most of the older versions of Flash ... and still easily read by the newest versions. Compatibility rules!

In many ways, there's no subsitute for what Flash provides. But, for me to design a site entirely in Flash? This jury is still out ...