Web Design 
Successful
Flash Design
Accessibility
The subject of accessibility can fuel a range of arguments and what is important to users can get lost. Flash can actually aid accessibility by engaging the user in sound, animation, graphics and non pixelated content that can be easily scaled for accessible viewing. Though this is rarely talked about and is more than an article in its self. This is a great objective article on the subject: http://www.webaim.org/techniques/flash/
Websites that use flash can be accessible. Adobe continues to bring improvements to Flash that allows web designers and developers to provide more accessible content using the Accessibility panel or Actionscript; such as text equivalents for whole movies and button labels. http://www.adobe.com/resources/accessibility/best_practices/bp_fp.html
Effective use of space
Another advantage of this hybrid approach to web design is more effective use of advertising space. Space is precious to businesses, especially on the homepage. Flash can be used to display a large amount of visual content in one area. Does this mean that content is sacrificed in other areas? No of course it's in addition and can used to highlight points, products or services in an accessible way. This helps users and companies that want to deliver a message quickly define what a website is about. A flash panel on a web site homepage can show a complete range or diversity of products that are stocked by the company. This enhances the user experience, improves usability and effectively advertises the merchant's products quickly. This gives the user immediate visual references of what type of products are being sold on the site, rather than displaying single static photographs.
As well as space, it also makes good use of the time visitors spend on a website. As many of us know web user can be a fickle lot and determine the relevance and value of a website in seconds, quickly scan reading pages. With Flash design website owners can make more out of their hard earned traffic and communicate quickly why users should stay longer and return.
The Wow factor
Another old cliché "first impressions count" and Flash can be used as an amazing presentation tool. Flash can create a first impression of a company that is memorable, sticks and communicates unique selling points that tell users why they should buy from this company. Flash design can be used for dynamic product display to demonstrate to customers how products can be used,. This can be done by video animation, sound, an interactive application or all combined. A real focus can be placed on communicating a core message in the most effective and powerful way to customers and visitors.
The web is an interactive environment that users want to interact with. Flash / animation allow users to engage with a website and products in imaginative and fun ways. Flash can be used for education purposes as well as commercial design. An interactive mini application can be used for product demonstration purposes as well allowing users to interact and connect with a product. Flash design can be used in this way to demonstrate a primary function or product mechanism.
Summary
As with many other web design tools it's not Flash that is the problem. It's the way that Flash is used in web design that will determine its success. If used well and as part of an HTML / Flash hybrid site it can bring an unrivalled means of communication and product delivery to a website. As well as significantly adding value to online business promotion and sales campaigns.
The disadvantages that have long been associated with Flash are unnecessary and are probably largely due to the legacy that flash intros and poor design has left us with. Use of flash does not need to impede SEO nor accessibility. In order to design an accessible search engine friendly site the whole site should be considered using a goal orientated approach. Yes the website should be accessible for the audience that it is targeting and the marketing assessment should address search engine visibility. However to address business objectives as a whole, why would any web design company ignore or dispute the value of such a powerful communication tool? Web Design Services by Rhubarb Media
Call us on:
