Re: FLASH: General role of Flash in webdesign...

[Russell E. Unger]

I'm writing some information for HannaHodge's next NewsLetter...sounds like I should send a copy.


Russ


Antoine Valot wrote:


> Russell,

>

> That was my point exactly: Useability principles can be applied to

> Flash. Nielsen doesn't do it, but it doesn't mean WE can't do it.

>

> Different tools, not different rules. As long as you help your user

> achieve their goals, it doesn't matter if your interface is Flash,

> DHTML, or plain text. I remember some highly useable gopher and FTP

> sites from the days before the web. Hell, I remember highly useable

> paper documents!

>

> What I'd like to see is a site or column devoted to Flash useability.

>

> Hmmm... maybe I should start one!

>

> Antoine Valot

>

> "Russell E. Unger" wrote:

> >

> > Oh....careful here.  Remember that these are opinions.

> >

> > I just spent a great evening speaking on Flash and Usability with the Chicago WebGrrls and there are

> > a lot of points that can be countered from below.

> >

> > In usability testing, a lot of testers find Flash to be an annoyance and will simply cover it with

> > their hands or shut it down when anything pops up.

> >

> > I don't want to go on and on and on with the topic; I just want to point out that there are several

> > issues on both sides of the fence here.  You may be better off talking with someone at a Usability

> > Testing lab (i.e. Human Factors) to see what their input is on the subject.

> >

> > There simply is a lot of improvement that can be done to increase Flash's usability, as with

> > anything else out there.

> >

> > Russ

> >

> > Antoine Valot wrote:

> >

> > > Jakob Nielsen's writings are anything but ramblings. His useability

> > > column raises all sorts of good issues, and should be read as one of the

> > > few really useful info sites on the subject.

> > >

> > > However, and point that out to your bosses, Jakob does his column on

> > > HTML web design, not on web design as an absolute. He simply has never

> > > covered Flash, probably because it's too new of a technology for him to

> > > have had a chance to comment on it.

> > >

> > > His useability principles still apply, in spirit, to Flash sites as well

> > > as HTML. So a Flash site designed for useability and effectiveness would

> > > please Mr. Nielsen more than an HTML one that is counter-intuitive for

> > > the user. If Nielsen only knew how much Flash can do for useability,

> > > when used correctly, he's call for a dumping of HTML in his column.

> > >

> > > Try telling them that. It might work well because, what you'd basically

> > > be telling them, is that they would be smarter than Nielsen himself by

> > > using Flash. Bosses love that kind of logic!

> > >

> > > Antoine Valot.

> > >

> > > >

> > > > Wednesday, May 24, 2000, 12:02:36 PM, Verhaegen Tom

>

> > > <tom [dot] verhaegencarels [dot] com> wrote:

> > > > > To be franc, i changed Job ;-)

> > > >

> > > > First, I have to earn some money to back me up. ;-)

> > > >

> > > > > The only way the convince the clients is to make a studie. A studie in

> > > > wich

> > > > > you screen there compatitors and the technologie they use. If that doesn't

> > > > > work you can pull out the statistique of the flash usage.

> > > >

> > > > Do you have an URL for good webstatistics on plugins etc.?

> > > >

> > > > > I have taken a look at the Jacon Nielsen and I even haven't read it (it

> > > > just

> > > > > not attractive and it doesnt invite me to read it.

> > > >

> > > > Me too! I looked over it shortly and closed the browser window.

> > > >

> > > > > If a company gives a business-presentation they try hard to look good, so

> > > > > way should there website look like &%#$@@%^. A web site is an extra

> > > > office,

> > > > > so make it look good and the people will enter. (maybe this is an

> > > > argument)

> > > >

> > > > That's what they already do consider. Despite the "negative thinking"

> > > > of the programmer (uses only Unix and Lynx), who is one of the two

> > > > bosses I have, we use graphics to put life into a website.

> > > > (Imagine complaining voice: 'But no Flash...')

> > > >

> > > > Sincerely,

> > > >

> > > >    Thorvald Neumann

> > > >    Medienentwickler

> > > >

> > > > --

> > > > TSE GmbH Neue Medien, Hovestr.14, D-48351 Everswinkel

> > > > Tel.: +49-2582-66180 - Fax: +49-2582-661833

> > > > http://www.tse-online.de/

> > > > http://www.schlemmen-im-muensterland.de/

> > > >

> > > > flasher is generously supported by...

> > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> > > > World Animation Celebration - Big Internet Animation Pow Wow Discount Offer

> > > >

> > > > Register before May 25 mention flasher and save 25%!! www.wacfest.com

> > > >

> > > > Be discovered, get a job or have your web series picked up.  A big talent search for Shockwave

> > > > and Flash animators is happening May 30-June 4 in Hollywood.  Featuring Rob Burgess, Matt

> > > > Groening, Brad Bird and more.   www.wacfest.com

> > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> > > > To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

>

> > > http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email helpchinwag [dot] com

> > >

> > > flasher is generously supported by...

> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> > > World Animation Celebration - Big Internet Animation Pow Wow Discount Offer

> > >

> > > Register before May 25 mention flasher and save 25%!! www.wacfest.com

> > >

> > > Be discovered, get a job or have your web series picked up.  A big talent search for Shockwave

> > > and Flash animators is happening May 30-June 4 in Hollywood.  Featuring Rob Burgess, Matt

> > > Groening, Brad Bird and more.   www.wacfest.com

> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> > > To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

>

> > http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email helpchinwag [dot] com

> >

> > flasher is generously supported by...

> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> > World Animation Celebration - Big Internet Animation Pow Wow Discount Offer

> >

> > Register before May 25 mention flasher and save 25%!! www.wacfest.com

> >

> > Be discovered, get a job or have your web series picked up.  A big talent search for Shockwave

> > and Flash animators is happening May 30-June 4 in Hollywood.  Featuring Rob Burgess, Matt

> > Groening, Brad Bird and more.   www.wacfest.com

> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> > To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

>

> http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email helpchinwag [dot] com

>

> flasher is generously supported by...

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> World Animation Celebration - Big Internet Animation Pow Wow Discount Offer

>

> Register before May 25 mention flasher and save 25%!! www.wacfest.com

>

> Be discovered, get a job or have your web series picked up.  A big talent search for Shockwave

> and Flash animators is happening May 30-June 4 in Hollywood.  Featuring Rob Burgess, Matt

> Groening, Brad Bird and more.   www.wacfest.com

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

>

http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email helpchinwag [dot] com

flasher is generously supported by...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

World Animation Celebration - Big Internet Animation Pow Wow Discount Offer


Register before May 25 mention flasher and save 25%!! www.wacfest.com


Be discovered, get a job or have your web series picked up.  A big talent search for Shockwave

and Flash animators is happening May 30-June 4 in Hollywood.  Featuring Rob Burgess, Matt

Groening, Brad Bird and more.   www.wacfest.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email

helpchinwag [dot] com