Flash Web design

Flash has always been something of a curious and intriguing technological entity, with Flash web design allowing excellent graphics and other visuals to be applied to web content across the board. One of the biggest problems comes by the way of the fact that because Flash web design is time-consuming and difficult to master at a high level, there is a misconception that it should be used as much as possible at every opportunity.

The truth however is that Flash web design is not without its drawbacks and its mishandled use can in fact be more of a detriment than a draw. Flash is of course extremely popular and with careful consideration and inclusion, Flash web design can yield exceptional results, though it is essential to keep tabs on reality and bear in mind the pros and cons:

Pros:

• Compatibility - Flash web design is supported by at least 95% of all web browsers, therefore developers can be assured the content will be seen correctly by all with the required plug-in.
• Video - Video content displays excellently as no OS-specific plug-in such as QuickTime is required.
• Animations/Visuals - Originally created for such content, Flash web design is ideal or simple to create and display animations and visual of the highest order.

Cons:

• Usability - One of the most used web button of all is the ‘Back’ button, which is a functionality removed with most Flash web design and may not be to the liking of the visitor.
• Startup Speed - In some instances without expert optimization, the whole site may have to be downloaded by the visitor before being used, which could take considerable time depending on the size and the bandwidth limitations.
• SEO - Search engine spiders are still unable to read the content of Flash web design and therefore it can be difficult to achieve high rankings, unless this is augmented with simple sitemaps and the like.