Flash is a wonderful and powerful development application and plug-in for web browsers. Even with the popularity of CSS design, Flash still gives the most precise control over graphic design and placement. Logic House Media started developing with Flash in 1999 and has implemented its ever-changing list of powerful website enhancements in many different scenarios.

In the early days of Flash there was no way to load the Flash animations and content into the users web browser without loading the entire Flash file. Developers used "Flash Intros" and "Loading Screens" to let website users know the data would soon be available. At that time, even 56K modems weren't widespread and broadband availability was limited to select businesses. Development of Flash content was challenging due to the time users had to wait for the content to be available.

As Flash evolved and high speed internet services became more common in businesses and homes, Flash exploded in popularity. Unfortunately website developers weren't fully prepared to take advantage of the most recent changes in Flash and internet users became fatigued of the "Intros and Loading" screens which commonly thieved 30 seconds or more of their time.

Flash technology evolved and eventually developers started creating applications that could load external images, text, video, audio and other flash files as the user needed or requested them. Additionally, Flash could now interface directly with databases through "Flash Remoting" or external scripts load dynamic data using Flash's programming language "ActionScript".

Logic House Media has specialized in Flash / Database integration since 2002, offering clients the ability to present dynamic data within Flash files which greatly enhances the user's experience and graphic appeal.

Site Entirely In Flash

Site In Flash and HTML

It is very important to determine the website's purpose and objectives when considering Flash implementation. A website can be designed entirely in Flash or in combination with HTML, CSS or other language. There are advantages and drawbacks to both scenarios and Logic House Media approaches each website development project with those in mind and analyzes the situation with our clients.

A site designed entirely in Flash gives complete control over every aspect of design, user interface and function. "Pages" don't need to "reload" in the browser each time a user navigates to a different part of the site which creates a more "seamless" feel. The site can also be scaled to full screen (browser size). Flash sites allow for custom designed vertical and horizontal scrolling, full page effects and virtually limitless font choices.

The most negative aspect of sites completely designed in Flash is their lack of search engine compatibility, which for some companies might prove devastating. Top search engines and directories such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, etc. don't pull the same information from solely Flash sites as they do from sites containing mostly straight HTML. Their formulas form page rankings contain variables Flash sites can't produce.

For some site owners this isn't an issue. For instance, Coca-Cola has extremely wide brand recognition and aren't as dependent on search results for internet users to find out about their products. Stuart's Root Beer, however, is not a household name and strongly benefits from higher search engine results. When organizations have alternate forms of marketing and promoting their websites, a site entirely developed in Flash might be more appealing. There are many different instances where this is the case.

Other organizations who have more pressing competition might really need high search to draw business. Restaurants, salons, independent recording artists, small or new businesses typically benefit from search engine placement. A site which incorporates Flash in strategic places might be more suitable for them.