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Thread: Need ideas for a Flash header on my new website
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Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 9
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bnzelener
Stranger Joined: Nov 21, 2008 Post Count: 4 Status: Offline |
Hi everyone, I've just put my new website online, and I've been posting in forums to get critique and comments. The main critique I get is that the site doesn't have enough going on, and that it is pretty plain overall. There's a large dark-grey header on the site that currently displays the Welcome to BNZ Computers! message, and has a little scrolling effect. I'd like to look into replacing the header with a Flash banner to showcase images and specifications of our Base-Line PC. If you have any ideas about how to create or implement a Flash banner like that, please let me know. I have never touched Flash, and am fairly hesitant about doing so. The website is www.bn zco mputers.com. [Remove Spaces] If you have a spare moment, please take a look and let me know what you think. Thanks for everything, Brennan ---------------------------------------- [Edit 1 times, last edit by Thelma at Nov 21, 2008 1:30:25 PM] |
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LSW
Advanced Member USA Joined: Nov 27, 2003 Post Count: 6287 Status: Offline |
The main critique I get is that the site doesn't have enough going on, and that it is pretty plain overall. What forum said that? You sell computers, what do you need Flash for? I agree the dark grey band is boring, but you could give it a texture to make it more interesting. Does it need to be dark grey? What about a really dark rich shade of Blue? I mean really dark, with just enough to show that it is blue indeed. Or dark rich green (not a dark olive drab). Greys just sort of turn the eye and the mind off. A tinge of color to it would really set it off better. Flash is easy. It is just a bunch of frames in which a element moves a little each time, like thumb movies you may have drawn as a kid. The problem with Flash will always be a mix:
Naturally Nr. 2 is even more pronouced with people with disabilities, cognitive disabilities, age issues, vision issues. Someone with concentration issues will have trouble, AHD for instance.... and you will have people of all ages, sexes and walks of life here so odds are you will have many of the Millions of people with disabilities visit your site. What you can/should do: Make a static graphic version of your Flash banner and use it as a background. If the Flash does not load or the page is visited by one of the majority of user agents that does not support flash, the banner version is visible under the Flash. The other thing is to keep the movement, color changes whatever slow so it does not battle the content for the users attention, it can be ignore better than a bouncing screaming ball of something. keep it casual and pleasant. Or, limit the loops. Have the motion you want run once and stop. this way they see the Flash when they come, but when they try to decide what they want it is still and not bothering them. So you can use Flash, just be carefull with it and ask yourself if it really increases the usability of the page or if a more colorful banner would do the trick. ---------------------------------------- Gu.aal kwsh� yak'�i it�akw ijeet wugood�k LSW-WebDesign.com |
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bnzelener
Stranger Joined: Nov 21, 2008 Post Count: 4 Status: Offline |
That's one of the best responses I've had so far. Thanks. I had a guy making me a Flash header that didn't turn out so well. I'm going to try to work on it a bit more, but I will certainly take your advice as to having a header under the flash, for people using browsers that don't support Flash. What kind of dark rich blue design do you think would go well with my page? Thanks again, Brennan |
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lm
Advanced Member Joined: Oct 27, 2004 Post Count: 2550 Status: Offline |
there are many places to look for some inspiration for you header. You can start off with smashing magazine for example. Or pick up some tips from brusheezy, vecteezy or flasheezy websites. ( Just in case you haven't been there already). ---------------------------------------- My blog |
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LSW
Advanced Member USA Joined: Nov 27, 2003 Post Count: 6287 Status: Offline |
Well as I said I like Plain, I am there to buy a computer and not watch cartoons so I don't want things "Going on," I want to quickly find what I want. Low key patterns, like a water mark make it interesting, yet do not draw attention. Maybe a really faded keyboard or circuit board. Even sort of a sand feel just touches it up for the eye. Another simple idea would be a stripe, sort of the TV effect, it is easily done by creating a 1x2 pixel image. Make it larger it so you can see what you are doing, Fill the top Pixel in with the darker version of the chosen color and the lower pixel with the lighter color. Save it and make that your background and you will have a very fine striped effect that is interesting for the eye but not overpowering. Here is a archived version of my earlier web site, have a look at the banner for the striping effect. What about a simple Computer graphic. My LSW uses a third party template in your colors, see how it looks and use that as an idea. http://www.lsw-webdesign.com/ ---------------------------------------- Gu.aal kwsh� yak'�i it�akw ijeet wugood�k LSW-WebDesign.com |
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Susie
Advanced Member Ohio, USA Joined: May 30, 2004 Post Count: 2677 Status: Offline |
I am known for my simple designs (mostly because I lack the know-how to make beautiful graphics, but also I really do love clean designs), so take this for what it's worth.  Personally, I love your layout and I don't think it's boring at all. The only thing I think it needs is some color or imagery in that header area. |
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bnzelener
Stranger Joined: Nov 21, 2008 Post Count: 4 Status: Offline |
I put a horizontal line between the Headline in the header, and the little description. - to add a bit of definition. I'll try out the pixel idea soon. My biggest difficulty with the site is my novice experience with HTML and CSS. It's all still a learning process, so it will come along as I figure it out. I do like the site so far, and I'm proud that I did it all by code, without any type of WYSIWYG editor. |
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LSW
Advanced Member USA Joined: Nov 27, 2003 Post Count: 6287 Status: Offline |
Cheers! Good to hear. We are all for that here. WYSIWYG is not for people who are serious about web design, it limits people to to many things that could be done better by hand coding. Cleaner faster code. ---------------------------------------- Gu.aal kwsh� yak'�i it�akw ijeet wugood�k LSW-WebDesign.com |
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bnzelener
Stranger Joined: Nov 21, 2008 Post Count: 4 Status: Offline |
What would you think of a Javascript Showcase, to the right of the Intro text in the header. The showcase wouldn't move by itself, but it would have navigation tools to show different images and highlight different specifications on the Base-Line PC and Customization options. Brennan |
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