Some designers believe, and I want to emphasize ‘some’ in this sentence, that Flash can only be used to display animation or videos and to enhance the visual impression of the website. But, Flash is all that and much more. It can be used to offer a striking visual experience to website visitors but at the same time it can also be used to make the user experience more interactive. No doubt, when it comes to the matter of usability and even the accessibility of the website, Flash doesn’t get full marks, but the correct use of Flash will definitely go a long way in make the website improve its interactivity and make the design more engaging for its users.

But this post isn’t about the benefits of Flash; rather it’s about the mistakes some designers tend to make when it comes to using Flash optimally. This usually happens when a designer is unable to ensure that all Flash elements such as animation, sound, video and graphics come together in the right amounts; or it can also happen when designers are not able to follow the various usability guidelines of Flash that are a prerequisite for better user interaction.

Mistake 1- When Designers Try to Imitate

Imitation is definitely the best form of flattery but not in the case of Flash especially when designers try to imitate CSS or (X) HTML. They make a cardinal sin of trying to embed long texts in Flash movies etc. because it increasingly gets difficult to work with such long texts, especially if you want to offer better usability to website visitors. One of the biggest drawbacks of such imitation is that the website’s overall experience goes for a toss as users are not able to open new links in new windows and are also unable to select or copy text. While both problems might not look so serious on one hand, they take a whole lot away from the effectiveness of the website. Imagine if your site has an enviable design but does not score high on the usability factor; what is the use of such website design?

There is no point in imitating conventional web presentation when Flash can be used to showcase heightened visuals including motion graphics, videos and sounds, and all in all, offer users stunning but unusual visual solutions.

Mistake 2 – Unimaginative and Problematic Navigation

A navigation menu plays a crucial role in the user experience of a website. Flash, if used incorrectly, can play the spoilsport when it comes to the usability of the navigation menus. Let’s first take a look at what works when it comes to flash menus.  First, they need to be intuitive, second, they need to be easy to understand and use and thirdly, they should be problem free. Many a times, designers get carried away by their own creativity and seemingly endless knowledge of Flash and built a Flash based navigation menu that is actually not navigable at all. It is completely unintuitive and instead of making things easier for visitors, makes things confusing and even disturbing.

It’s important to understand that you as a designer might want to offer your website visitors an unusual navigational menu, but not all of them will appreciate or understand it. Most website visitors won’t take time out to explore a complex Flash design. They love simplicity and your creativity must not infringe upon their ‘right to simplicity’.

Taking note of these designs will definitely help save your Flash website design from being called ineffective. It makes no sense to make all the effort to create an enviable design but lose the plot when it comes to the basics of applying Flash design.