Flash? Well, there's bad Flash...
We've talked and written plenty already about this kind of Flash in the past, often specifically that Flash is just not a good platform for web development. Many creative agencies were quickly seduced by its visual capabilities, which were admittedly pretty fancy (still are), and would construct their entire website using Flash. The first big problem with this is that it makes updating a website pretty cumbersome, requiring access to the original composition file, not to mention a working knowledge of the program. The second issue concerns search engine optimization. When the entire website is constructed in Flash, the individual pages don't end up having unique URL's. In fact, from a search engine's point of view, the entire website is just one file, no matter how detailed it might be. If your website is one Flash file, it's as if it's only one page. From Google's perspective, a one page site is fairly irrelevant.
Now, it is true that Google is continually improving its ability to index Flash content. Currently, though, it's still limited to indexing text. This is a good step forward, but keep in mind that even if Google can index the text of a Flash file, it's still associating all that text with one URL. You are much better off having unique URLs for each page of your website, so that each page can represent a distinct body of content with a distinct set of meta data. The more unique and organized content your website has, the more Google's indexing process will be effective in determining what your website is actually about and matching it appropriately to users' search queries. To sum it up, building your entire website in Flash is simply an SEO FAIL.
... and there's good Flash.
Flash is better when it's used for visual content that benefits from it's "flashier" capabilities, but in a way that doesn't compromise the website's edibility or search engine optimization. In other words, good Flash is the use of Flash-driven elements within a database-driven website. Examples of this could be as simple as a Flash animation placed within the content of a page, or as complex as a Flash-driven framework for a page that uses an XML file to pull dynamic content from the website's database and integrate it within the page. One of the most common examples of Flash content integration that we do is when we feature video on websites. We generally recommend that our clients use the Flash video format (.flv) with a Flash-based player. You can read more about this in our November newsletter, Video Just Got Easier. Just keep in mind that the more Flash elements you include in a website, the more dependent upon a working knowledge of Flash your client will be when it comes to maintaining and updating the website.
In general, what's more important than the flashiness of your design is the effectiveness of your design. Have you taken in to consideration how the website will grow in content over time? Or are you more concerned with how it looks right now? These are the most important considerations to weigh before you decide whether to use Flash in your design.
This is a great resource to have on the NF site. Nearly every project I've worked on in the past year could benefit from one of the points made in this article.
Another point is that designers often create custom interface tools (internal page scrollbars, dropdowns) and don't take into account how each browser treats these differently. Yet another point to add!
Katie
Katie,
That's definitely true! We could probably have an entire newsletter just on browser-related issues.
Chris
Chris,
Great post. Could have easily developed into a whole series but you definitely covered the majors. Can't wait to see this in print. ;)
Justin
Great article Chris. Nice work.
You write with a good voice.
Cheers, Ed
Ed,
Thanks for reading, and for your kind words!
Chris
I just saw this blog post from Viget Labs about another approach - the Cufón technique- for font replacement. Check it out.
I like your analogy of Jazz. I do feel that it's more of an ensemble. There are several concerns out there. One, you need to make the site attractive while not making it look cluttered. Two, when you get the traffic, if your website is purely graphics and no copy writing, you might be losing god traffic.
Thirdly if you have too much of the widgets and gadgets like Mybloglog, Digg, Twitter...yes it does add traffic but sometimes the website could look pretty messed up with so much plugins.
That's why there's a fair bit of strategizing to be done before launching a site.
Seo Singapore, I agree- you're describing the "Frankensteinization" effect, which is a risk to any site that has both a client controlled CMS, and one that grows in functionality over time. That's also why design is not a one-time event. Over time, as new functionality is introduced, it's great to have a designer on hand to adjust the overall design to accommodate new elements.
Chris,
This is one of my favorite Newfangled newsletters so far this year. (1) I love the use of more images. They really help to get your points across and also to keep the momentum going in the article. (2) I love the content in general. You should definitely write more about design. Many of your recent newsletters have been primarily about marketing concepts- they've all been good stuff- but I'd like to hear more about design and I bet so would many of your agency clients. Maybe a series that deals with tools, a critical approach to quality in design, etc. that kind of thing? With your RISD background I'm sure you have much more to say about that kind of thing... Keep up the great work!
Dennis
Dennis,
Thanks for the compliments! I agree that the images are important- you've probably noticed that the last few newsletters have had many more images. Many people look to the images to get a quick understanding of what the story is.
I'll take your suggestion on writing more about design. I have a few ideas for future newsletters that will be more design related.
Chris
I like your jazz analogy also, it's brilliant. Designing an effective web site requires more than just gathering relevant information and posting it on the web. Like a good paper or research presentation, a quality web project demands as much attention to the selection, organization, and presentation of material as to the underlying research itself. You should strive, above all, to be both clear and engaging in every aspect of site design. Without the first, you will quickly lose your audience. Without the second, you'll never catch their attention in the first place.
Aron
Kayu Jati | Wheatgrass Grow | Kefir Grains
I also like your jazz analogy. I have two tips to begin a web:
* Consider your audience and your goals. You should have a clear sense of who will be using your site (mostly college undergraduates) and what kind of experience you are hoping to provide. What exactly are you trying to accomplish here? Why is this important?
* Plan your site on paper first. You can draw a "family tree" of pages with arrows indicating links. Or you can make a hierarchical outline. Either way, it is essential to organize your information and lay out the architecture of your site before attempting to implement your vision.