In a growing climate of stripped-down, anti-Flash, non-design mobile user experience, the appreciation of beautiful, innovative and truly inspired design – in the true sense of the word design – is in decline. And one of the most versatile tools in a Web designer’s arsenal – Adobe Flash – is under a bit of an attack. With Adobe Flash under such fire – particularly from Apple, who will probably never enable the Flash plugin on their mobile devices – many others are jumping on the anti-Flash bandwagon, treating Flash like the web’s bastard stepchild. I’ve created a section of the blog that celebrates beautiful Flash design by Flash designers from all over the globe, showcasing astounding designs and incredibly rich user experiences that are only possible with Flash.
In addition to its uniform display across all battling browsers, there are many things that Flash does better than any other platform. The simple truth is that – when used effectively for the right project, without overblown design with unnecessary bells and whistles – Flash can create a user experience that blows every other platform out of the water. Plain and simple.
This ‘Gorgeous Flash’ category is an appreciative nod to work by Flash designers who know how to keep it beautiful and fresh without overdoing it, and a polite middle finger to those who contribute to the smear campaign against one of web design’s most amazing tools.
My criteria for inclusion…
The web sites (or the Flash components in them) must:
- be created in with Adobe Flash, of course;
- employ a feather-light framework that loads very fast (faster than any other platform), avoiding elongated preloaders and intros that hold the visitor hostage;
- do things that only Flash can do;
- be considerate of the web site visitor’s time;
- of course, have an inspired, elegant, sophisticated and sexy design.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
*** As long as Flash is kept from the iPhone, the content I share here can only be enjoyed on a laptop or desktop computer.
