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Lately I've been trying to decipher certain elements of flash design like menu structure and the "point" of an interface.. and it's seeming more and more to me that exploring a flash site is alot like watching a film. I don't really mean "normal" flash use, as in standard menu submenu system etc.. but some more experimental flash work..
I think a major problem with flash sites is that they generally aren't for heavy use, like a port site that you go to all the time (like linkdup for me).. it's different for flash sites, content is arranged in a way so that it might be a very dynamic and non-linear content structure, but the intended end result of giving information to the viewer is very linear, the opposite of dynamic even.
I need more pepsi.. this isn't making any sense is it.
I'm going to post this and see if anybody has any thoughts on the subject of linear/non-linear flash design and the idea of flash sites as taking (in certain cases) cinematic approaches to narrative and the constructs of displaying content..
I guess my main issue is with content, because in some cases content can be very ephemeral, almost to the point of being art, can't it?!?
I'll try to write this over again when I feel more awake.
more clear and less pointless rambling.
Any comments are appreciated, I hope to hear interesting ideas.
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Hey Karnak,
I hear you loud and clear and I think you are referring to a very interesting and allusive aspect of Flash.I started a thread after reading an amazing article on the subject of using a narrative in a project.
http://board.flashkit.com/board/show...threadid=80530
Will be glad to continue and discuss the matter with you.
:)
McMurphy
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attention grabber
I do agree that there is a lack of information on many flash sites, however most attention spans are not to long.
Therefore, one has to have lots of sizzle in order to keep the user interested.
Once they have caught their audiences' interest....well, then depending on the company, either a phone number, pages with with lots of information, or anything that meets the purpose of having the site in the first place....
(I think this pertains to the topic. I am not exactly clear on what else was being said. I think voiceovers, but am not exactly sure.)
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attention grabber
I do agree that there is a lack of information on many flash sites, however most attention spans are not to long.
Therefore, one has to have lots of sizzle in order to keep the user interested.
Once they have caught their audiences' interest....well, then depending on the company, either a phone number, pages with with lots of information, or anything that meets the purpose of having the site in the first place....
(I think this pertains to the topic. I am not exactly clear on what else was being said. I think voiceovers, but am not exactly sure.)
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I love a list apart :)
That's a good article, and points, I think, to a very fundamental difference between flash as a methodology versus html and dhtml sites.. the idea of displaying content and information is of course radically different with flash, simply because it becomes so much more about personal narrative and I agree the personal style of a flash site is inseparable from its content. Thanks for the link!!
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Dreams2.com is a site that comes to mind which makes good use of narrative and cinematic effects, but I think there is a lot to be said for handing control over to the user. If a Flash site is very commercial and will have a lot of people revisining they cannot be expected to watch a movie every time and in this situation a non - linear timeline with lots of interaction and effective navigation is good. I guess it's down to the purpose of the site and why it was made.
