Project 16: Flash Aesthetics Paper

Flash animation is a new form of electronic media. As such, it is developing its own aesthetic or sense of what works and what doesn't work on the Web. The objective of this assignment is to analyze Flash media: visual design, layout and navigation; content; technology; cultural issues. (See evaluation criteria). Feel free to review the information in the web aesthetics section of this web site.

Your main task will be to find and examine three examples of Flash animations found on the Internet and use these examples to discuss Web aesthetics, pointing out successful and/or unsucessful uses of Web media. From the three Flash animations you are examining, try to determine why you think some use Flash media more effectively than others. A good presentation will examine the Macromedia Flash as a new medium of communication and determine what Web sites are doing or should do to best take advantage of this medium. Do not concentrate solely on visual attractiveness! Think about all of the issues we discussed in class that relate to Web aesthetics. Compare sites fairly-- don't compare a 1 million dollar corporate site to a local small business home page.

Your finished assignment must be completed in a Dreamweaver/HTML web page formatted to look like a formal writing assignment. Your "paper" should include an introduction to the Flash example (identifying the type of Flash animation), a link to the Flash animation, and a one-paragraph analysis of the aesthetics of the given Flash design.

Finally, each student will be required to make an oral presentation to the class about any one of the Flash animations analyzed in his/her report. No games may be used for the presentation. We will assemble a separate page of recommended game links for students to share.

Required elements

• three different types of Flash animations:
  • animated logo
  • animated banner
  • navigation bar or menu
  • slide show
  • movie
  • interactive game
  • splash page
  • entire Flash-based web site
    
• Analysis of each example, including:
  • introduction
  • working hyperlink
  • one-paragraph aesthetic analysis
• Presentation of one Flash example
  

Back to Lesson 01: Introduction to Macromedia Flash

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