Stop me if you’ve heard this before: “Don’t use Flash OMG! It’s sooooo tacky and overdone!”. OK, so honestly most of the time I’m not going to argue. I do think, however, that Flash has gotten a bad rap recently. We need to do more than just lay off the use of Flash, we need to embrace it.
Not too long ago, David Armano (who I’m pretty sure coined “Flashturbation”) pointed out that one of his favorite agency sites is the not-too-old overhaul from The Barbarian Group because of their simplified scheme. Even outfits like Big Spaceship (pictured below), which make their name with the high-end Flash stuff they do, have reverted to a more “blog like” design and navigation. Maybe with Big Spaceship it’s like when you work at an ice cream shop all summer, the last thing you want to eat is ice cream.
Either way, I both understand and respect the route that both of those shops has chosen. They provide a high quality site and a good experience, and that’s what it’s really all about in the end. We’re really building experiences. And who says that a Flash experience has to be a bad one? Look at the (national award winning) website for ad agency Hook by my friends at Blue Ion. It manages to deliver a good user experience, along with a visually engaging and exciting interface.
And that’s why I think we need Flash. Because with Flash, you get the “wow” moments, and that’s what pushes us forward. Don’t get me wrong, I love the usability factor with blog-like designs, and good god is it easy to screw up Flash, but when it’s right, it can be great.
So heed my words internet citizens. Don’t hate the Flash. If we kill the stigma, maybe some of the good designers and developers will keep on rocking, and pushing the envelope.
My name is Matt J McDonald and I'm a New Marketing Strategist based in Charleston, SC.
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