Vol. 2, No. 28
TODAY'S LESSON: Interactivity and Flash

Website building is an ongoing process that should incorporate new designs and technologies as the Internet evolves. You may get lucky and hit on a design that lasts a year or more, but site redesigns, or at least ongoing tuneups, are a good idea.

One way to tuneup a site is by adding some interactivity.

When a website has a long, drawn-out intro page, or a series of annoying pop-up screens, visitors tend to turn away and never come back. If you can add some tasteful touches of flair, though, it can be a welcome addition.

But remember, interactivity is a privilege, not a right. Before you add a gyrating technicolor bunny rabbit to your intro page, consider whether you're adding interactivity because your project calls for it or because you’re just a bored, wacky Web designer.

>>> Flash <<<

Flash is an application that was built specifically for Web page design, andis quite versatile. It allows you to create animations, build interactivity, and add sound to your pages. A big advantage of using Flash is that it's supported by most of the browsers, so a plug-in is not required of your visitors. If you can't fork out the cash for Flash right now, you can always download a 30-day trial version from Macromedia, and decide later if you want to buy it.

"Flash Basics"
So you want to add snappy interactivity and animations to your Web pages, but don't want to create huge "click-here-and-go-get-a-sandwich" files? Flash 3 may be the technology for you.

"Optimizing Flash"
You've added some Flash to your Web page, but now it's so big, it takes ten minutes just to load. To shave off the KB from your Flash files, you need to construct them as efficiently as possible. Let Marlow show you how it's done.

"Flash Walk"
Making a character's walk look realistic is a long-lost, and long-cherished, secret of animation. There's no magic button to push, sadly, but the steps can be broken down into easily digestible bites that are easy to understand and recreate.

>>> Smart Media <<<

Whatever you do to spruce up your site, make sure the content you create is going to be easy to see and hear. Full-screen, high-action video is really cool, but only broadband visitors will be able to see it, and broadband isn't as pervasive as you might think. So think big when you're adding new designs to your site, but think small when it comes down to building them.

"Creative Inspiration"
Having trouble coming up with ideas for your site? Maybe looking at a few other creative Web pages will give you some bright ideas.

"Organization"
Anytime you add something new to your site, don't forget the basics. Organize your pages in a way that will make sense to your visitors. Wherever people are in your site, it should be clear: a) How they got to where they are, b) How that page relates to the rest of the site, and c) Where they can go from where they are.

1. When you're using Flash, save copies of the file as you work - especially if you are using a Mac. You'll thank yourself the day you open a FLA you've been working on for a month and you get an error message reading "unexpected file format."

2. Whenever you do a re-design on a website, it's wise to document your work. This could mean a simple outline of the changes, or a full-blown site-design specification that describes the scope and functionality of the site; it may include a storyboard or other mock-up of the site, directory structures, file-naming conventions, and other basic information about the site.

3. Not sure what to do with all those obsolete 8-track tapes that are boxed up in your garage? Record them all to cassette tape. Then you can worry about your obsolete cassette tape problem in another ten years.

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