If you have worked with me or read my previous comments, I focus
on ROI and using the right tool for the situation when designing. I get requests from new clients all the time to
create a sleek flash animation intro for their site. Let’s assume that the work involved in
creating that "really cool" intro is $1,000.
How much revenue do you expect to gain because of that awesome
intro? Before you answer that, send an
email to 20 of your friends and family and ask them what they do when go to a
website and see an intro with a really cool loading animation and a "Skip Intro"
option? Research suggests that more than
98% of all people won’t see the $1,000 investment you made.
Flash does have a very important place in website
design. Animation draws in a viewer’s attention
and adds a level of professionalism. It is very effective in communicating your vision, or showing off your
product. Drawing attention to a call to
action is another fantastic use of flash.
If you are looking to design a flash intro, you might want
to reevaluate how you are investing into your site. It is a much better use of your money to add
flash objects here and there to grab the viewer's attention and generate an
action that mirrors your business strategy.