Ejoh

Adobe Flash is one of the best tools ever created for the web and is widely used for displaying content in a nicely designed way. Along with Java it’s one of the few applications the user has to install that has made huge success. It’s been calculated that almost all Internet users that use flash updates to the latest version when it becomes available for download. Some web developers  say that using flash for websites is “cheating” and  and lacks the “true spirit” of making websites. I’m not of that opinion , but believe it needs to be used with care.

Flash success has left an imprint to the webdesign market where flash based websites becomes more and more requested by the clients. Flash websites should not take over the position of regular HTML and CSS websites but only be used in some situations. I think these type of websites and applications are suitable for flash:

• Personal portfolios. Official websites and portfolios, for example emmawatsonofficial.com can be done entirely in flash as long as the content is easy to read.
• As a part in a bigger website. Larger websites should not be entirely in flash. I mean, imagine MySpace or Digg.com in flash. Adobe.com is one of the websites that I think uses flash in a good way. They use it to show off their products, but only as a part of the product page.
• Video animations. Flash can also be used to show videos or even itself be used to do video animations.

The biggest mistake people do when they deside to use flash in their website is that they use every effect they can come up with and start making long intros. I love flash, but when I see people start doing flash animations just to show that they can or to spice up a site that lacks content it’s gone out of hand.

Flash should be used to display information, the very thing websites is all about. And as long as the webdesigner has that as the goal everything will be fine.