sorry john, i've seen just as much misuse of technology with every other program out there...
i can honestly say that i really like using flash, mostly for things other than websites. the program has sincerely opened up another world of capabilities for me...
but to put the weight of poor web design solely on flash's shoulders is entirely unfair... these sites would exist with or without the tool used to develop them
and of course some of the best sites employ the use of advanced website/scripting technology like flash/java while not posing a hinderance to it's users. (2x4)
flash certainly allows the creaters to enhance intuitive web browsing as well as unnessecary gobble-dee-gook. you've mistaken "clarity" for "unfamiliarity" there are currently many tools of the trade that are accepted as "ideal" but in fact, slow progress by rooting users deep within its UN-intuitive design. I'm using two such devices right now.
what gets me is that flash is rarely dirty. not everything wants to be clean...i have seen very few succesful dirty flash sites in my day. but i believe it can be done...if one pushes it.
it is easy to be clean [not that i'm knocking clean flash] but it too has its time and place, just like everything else.
a designer should ont have to submit to the nature of his/her software.
you can do anything with Flash. I love it. I hate html, although it has its uses. Using Flash is like starting with a clean slate. No grids (like html), no pieces loading randomly, etc. You can do anything you want!
someone that wasn't familiar with architecture coudl easily say "I hate architecture" based on that the vast majority of the buildings out there suck.
garbage in, garbage out, as loudmouth notes - don't matter what the profession or tool
I fully agree with much of the flash crap being produced, it is not very intuitive and you often see portfolio sites with snowflakes on the intro page, but I am hoping that I have been able to produce a 'clean/intuitive' flash site. But as pointed out this is a problem with html sites as well.
Comments and criticism welcome, I have thick skin.
Disclaimer, the intro page takes a little longer than I would like it to load, so I have to re-work the animation there, and there is a glitch with the c.v., but everything else is fair game.
Maybe people post their sites and we can all learn something from them.
jamez,
i mean no disrespect when i say this, but despite being very clean and showcasing some very nice renderings, your site embodies exactly what i dislike about most of the architect's flash sites i visit. when viewing an architect's website i just want to be able to view the largest number of images in the shortest amount of time. a format like the archinect image gallery works well for this. it loads thumbnails instantly and it's all right there. but your images are buried within a navigation process most people (perspective clients included) are too impatient to wait for.
Flash is bad for the web because the web is built on linking on linking and searching.
Linking and searching are easy by default in html but in order to make flash linkable and searchable the designers have to 1) know how to do it, and 2) choose to do it. Most don't. That's why flash sucks.
Yes I see part of your arguement, and non-taken. Can you elaborate on how the navigation process is more comoplex than archinect, just curious to see your line of thinking.
For archinect you have to click on image gallery, then select the gallery and then click the image.
For my website you click on projects, click on the project you want to view and then click the image. How can this be simplified?
One of the features that I like about flash is the ability to control content and pre-load objects, the linkability is an issue, but this is improving, even google is able to search within flash content on a limited basis now.
jamez - good rule of thumb for quality flash - NO TWEENING!!! You can slip it in here and there, but generally you need to use actionscript to get smooth movement.
That's one of the largest things with Flash, too many go "ooo, look, I can morph a circle into a square!" and that's what they put on their site (or, God forbid, spinning logos). That's barely the surface of Flash.
My thoughts on your site:
Too slow. What is your frame rate? I am guessing it's too low. Crank it up some (at least 31 fps). This will give a smoother look to the transitions/fades. You'll have to restructure your tweens (another reason tweens suck - no flexibility).
Delete all tweened morphs
Delete the spinning rollovers
Delete the second rect that moves on the menu
Bar on bottoms seems out of place, everything is single lines
Bank Gothic is pretty dated
You've got some good work, don't let the flashy stuff distract. I think increasing the frame rate will help a ton (don't be afraid to crank it way up, even though it does eat processing power, it can make it look a billion times better).
Look at how fast and smooth Kohn Pederson Fox's site is:
Wonderful programming there and an excellent example of Flash's potential. Great scripted motion.
HUGE images that load fast, scale, etc.
TONS of information, news, images, etc., that could never be done via html. Nice database integration too.
FAST - it's incredibly fast for such large images. Great distraction between images, too, so you don't really notice the loading.
I assume bank gothic is a font, this is actually eurostile, although I am not completely happy with it, I have not found another font yet.
I will crank up the frame rate as that is something I can easily do.
I have structured the site to use the load movie command, so I am hoping that as I become more advanced in my scripting that these improvements will take place. KPF is obviously done by a professional developer and there is a lot of advanced scripting going on there, however I do think that the navigation is a little confusing, but still something to be aiming for.
Any tips on some good action scripting resources? Thanks for the crit.
the kpf site is quick. How are they doing that? I have understood that loading movies into an empty movie clip by action script was the best way. Is kpf doing something different? Thomas Leeser has a nice site as well. It loads images super quick and without any navigation from the initial frame.
Flash sucks
I really really really abhore FLASH WEBSITES. How many times can a datum interect a series of coloured boxes in 29.97 fps?
Why is it that EVERY architect's website is flash?
Where is the practicality in having a website that breaks intuition rather than establishes clarity?
Sorry for the rant...
sorry john, i've seen just as much misuse of technology with every other program out there...
i can honestly say that i really like using flash, mostly for things other than websites. the program has sincerely opened up another world of capabilities for me...
but to put the weight of poor web design solely on flash's shoulders is entirely unfair... these sites would exist with or without the tool used to develop them
and of course some of the best sites employ the use of advanced website/scripting technology like flash/java while not posing a hinderance to it's users. (2x4)
flash certainly allows the creaters to enhance intuitive web browsing as well as unnessecary gobble-dee-gook. you've mistaken "clarity" for "unfamiliarity" there are currently many tools of the trade that are accepted as "ideal" but in fact, slow progress by rooting users deep within its UN-intuitive design. I'm using two such devices right now.
...and i'm really enjoying this okocim
truly awful
Flash is just over used by untalented designers
truth be told: garbage in-garbage out
what gets me is that flash is rarely dirty. not everything wants to be clean...i have seen very few succesful dirty flash sites in my day. but i believe it can be done...if one pushes it.
it is easy to be clean [not that i'm knocking clean flash] but it too has its time and place, just like everything else.
a designer should ont have to submit to the nature of his/her software.
you can do anything with Flash. I love it. I hate html, although it has its uses. Using Flash is like starting with a clean slate. No grids (like html), no pieces loading randomly, etc. You can do anything you want!
someone that wasn't familiar with architecture coudl easily say "I hate architecture" based on that the vast majority of the buildings out there suck.
garbage in, garbage out, as loudmouth notes - don't matter what the profession or tool
I fully agree with much of the flash crap being produced, it is not very intuitive and you often see portfolio sites with snowflakes on the intro page, but I am hoping that I have been able to produce a 'clean/intuitive' flash site. But as pointed out this is a problem with html sites as well.
http://www.studiojarch.com
Comments and criticism welcome, I have thick skin.
Disclaimer, the intro page takes a little longer than I would like it to load, so I have to re-work the animation there, and there is a glitch with the c.v., but everything else is fair game.
Maybe people post their sites and we can all learn something from them.
jamez,
i mean no disrespect when i say this, but despite being very clean and showcasing some very nice renderings, your site embodies exactly what i dislike about most of the architect's flash sites i visit. when viewing an architect's website i just want to be able to view the largest number of images in the shortest amount of time. a format like the archinect image gallery works well for this. it loads thumbnails instantly and it's all right there. but your images are buried within a navigation process most people (perspective clients included) are too impatient to wait for.
Flash is bad for the web because the web is built on linking on linking and searching.
Linking and searching are easy by default in html but in order to make flash linkable and searchable the designers have to 1) know how to do it, and 2) choose to do it. Most don't. That's why flash sucks.
Yes I see part of your arguement, and non-taken. Can you elaborate on how the navigation process is more comoplex than archinect, just curious to see your line of thinking.
For archinect you have to click on image gallery, then select the gallery and then click the image.
For my website you click on projects, click on the project you want to view and then click the image. How can this be simplified?
One of the features that I like about flash is the ability to control content and pre-load objects, the linkability is an issue, but this is improving, even google is able to search within flash content on a limited basis now.
jamez - good rule of thumb for quality flash - NO TWEENING!!! You can slip it in here and there, but generally you need to use actionscript to get smooth movement.
That's one of the largest things with Flash, too many go "ooo, look, I can morph a circle into a square!" and that's what they put on their site (or, God forbid, spinning logos). That's barely the surface of Flash.
My thoughts on your site:
Too slow. What is your frame rate? I am guessing it's too low. Crank it up some (at least 31 fps). This will give a smoother look to the transitions/fades. You'll have to restructure your tweens (another reason tweens suck - no flexibility).
Delete all tweened morphs
Delete the spinning rollovers
Delete the second rect that moves on the menu
Bar on bottoms seems out of place, everything is single lines
Bank Gothic is pretty dated
You've got some good work, don't let the flashy stuff distract. I think increasing the frame rate will help a ton (don't be afraid to crank it way up, even though it does eat processing power, it can make it look a billion times better).
Look at how fast and smooth Kohn Pederson Fox's site is:
http://www.kpf.com
Wonderful programming there and an excellent example of Flash's potential. Great scripted motion.
HUGE images that load fast, scale, etc.
TONS of information, news, images, etc., that could never be done via html. Nice database integration too.
FAST - it's incredibly fast for such large images. Great distraction between images, too, so you don't really notice the loading.
I assume bank gothic is a font, this is actually eurostile, although I am not completely happy with it, I have not found another font yet.
I will crank up the frame rate as that is something I can easily do.
I have structured the site to use the load movie command, so I am hoping that as I become more advanced in my scripting that these improvements will take place. KPF is obviously done by a professional developer and there is a lot of advanced scripting going on there, however I do think that the navigation is a little confusing, but still something to be aiming for.
Any tips on some good action scripting resources? Thanks for the crit.
the kpf site is quick. How are they doing that? I have understood that loading movies into an empty movie clip by action script was the best way. Is kpf doing something different? Thomas Leeser has a nice site as well. It loads images super quick and without any navigation from the initial frame.
link
Sorry in advance if that link doesn't work out...
Can anyone post other good examples?
This is pretty muc the defacto resource:
http://www.amazon.com/ActionScript-Flash-MX-Definitive-Second/dp/059600396X
I agree the nav is a little confusing, but the movement and speed is superb.
Look at these guys:
http://www.group94.com/home_old.php
Pretty good examples of creative use of Flash without going over board.
Honestly, I gave up trying to keep up with Actionscript a while ago. Just too time consuming. I hire programmers to do the as work on the sites I do.
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