Do you like flashy sites?

[adrian]

I mean both kinds: the ones with so much glitter and glamour, that it looks like it can be on the catwalk; and the ones that uses flash to do outrageous animations that it looks like you're watching a movie.

Case in point: Personal Touch Computers upgraded their website, but has two versions: one with bland ol' HTML and a new version in flash with an ultra cool computer with a fold out monitor.

Do you like those flashy sites that doesn't even resemble a website, or are you a traditionalist: wanting to have blue underlined links and everything else?

(and interesting tidbit: the PTC's BIOS screen shows that the comptuer has an Asus PS230 motherboard, and a 20.73ghz Intel processor. I'd love to do something like that for my website, but I can't even make a good gif file in Imageready).

[pzarquon]

Re: Do you like flashy sites?

Whenever presented with a "Flash Version" or an "HTML Version," I will always choose the HTML version. And when I'm not offered a choice and required to navigate within some slick Flash interface, I may just go elsewhere.

I've seen some really nice uses of Flash, and a small percentage of them use it in an intuitive way to help you get around. But in almost all cases, Flash is just used to show off, and in fact stands in the wayof getting to the information people are coming to your site to get.

Flash for a one-way presentation, for a movie or something? Fine. But for a business site or other resource where you want people to learn more, perhaps to save you the trouble of answering the phone and answering stupid questions? Flash is almost always a bad idea.

That "new" PTC site? Exactly the sort of ridiculousness I hate about Flash. Nearly a minute to load, just to show me a fancy picture on which I have to find a stupid yellow arrow to click to move on. And what do I get? A gee-whiz bit of animation to open a picture of a computer screen (talk about stupid!) that displays four basic buttons. Now, those four links? Yeah, they should just be on the main page, not buried 300kb and four clicks in.

It's not useful. It's the opposite of useful. But boy, it sure is pretty.

Bleaugh.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Do you like flashy sites?

That's why I love the Google home page. Simple, loads lightning fast (fastest website download) and gets to the point.

By the time the PTC website downloads, my interest is completely gone. Too much Flash isn't a good thing especially if you're running Dial Up.

[blueyecicle]

Re: Do you like flashy sites?

I hated anything flashy until I got cable...last week!! Now we shall see! BIG difference from my 3 years of dial up!!

[Hellbent]

Re: Do you like flashy sites?

i like flash for artsy sites, but there is a rule in design for businesses or anything really. a few years ago 'mystery meat' buttons sprang. icons that may or may not be intuitive. these icons on PTC have labels (once you turn on the 'pc' - and do they sell that monitor?), but if you didnt know to click the pc thing, youd be sitting there. waiting.
anyone remeber the old byteware website when they used to be on dillingham? simple and useful. parts and prices all on display in a simple manner. then it got modernized and hard to use.
artistic websites that use flash for artsy uses or games are awesome:
http://www.nosepilot.com/
http://www.compfused.com/directlink/1182/
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/crimsonroom.html

[idvfilms]

Re: Do you like flashy sites?

Flash in moderation is O.K. but to design a complete site around it...No way

In general most people only spend 30 seconds on a site, and if 15 is wasted on watching an intro..and then I have to click then click then click to find the information I am looking for..*poof* I'm gone.

I like to stick to the K.I.S.S. method...no not the band (although Detroit Rock City is good) Keep It Simple Stupid.