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Jakob Nielson, the industry's foremost usability expert has this to say about animation:
"Flash [animation] should not be used to jazz up a page. If your
content is boring, rewrite text to make it more compelling and hire a
professional photographer to shoot better photos. Don't make your pages
move. It doesn't increase users' attention, it drives them away; most people equate animated content with useless content."
So when (if ever) would you want to use animated content on your
website? Only when three factors are aligned:
The user chooses to view the animated content (i.e. it isn't imposed upon them without their permission).
The
animated content does something you can't do very well with still
images or words, like tell a compelling story or demonstrate a process.
The animated content has a genuine purpose (i.e. it doesn't exist for its own sake).
Here is a short list of how to benefit from the power of Flash:
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Conversion Of Bulky PowerPoint Presentations |
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Animated Logos & Headers |
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Animated Images & Overlaying Content |
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Speeches & Conferences |
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Custom Graphic Interfaces |
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Special Effects |
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Custom Portfolios |
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Custom Staff & Team Interface |
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Database Interface |
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Demos & Shopping Carts |
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Sound Effects |
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