News from Derek at www.derekfranklin.com - http://www.derekfranklin.com
Hello everyone,
Well, it went down to the wire, but I am very pleased and excited
to
announce the launch of www.derekfranklin.com.
This was one of the most
ambitious Flash projects I've undertaken since going solo last
year. It's
extremely interactive and uses many of Flash 5's new powerful
features (be
sure to have the latest plug-in when visiting)
Look for content to expand in the coming months. For now, you'll
find an
extensive amount of information about my latest book Flash 5!
Creative Web
animation, as well as the first interactive tutorial that was
created to
be used in conjunction with the book. And, as by request, tutorials
on the
site are now downloadable.
Look around, you never know what you'll find. While you're
at it, be sure
to give me some feedback on your experience. I'd love to hear
from you.
Until next time, best success!
Derek
The followings are three interesting web sites:
http://whateverhq.tmok.com/cartoons/shock/index.html
Whatever magazine presents shockwave cartoons by Dave Counts.
These cartoons are very interesting
http://disney.go.com/park/homepage/today/flash/index.html?clk=100439
They are cute!
http://www.kirupa.com/developer/
Offers informative tutorial in the ways of Flash. Provides
with many
tips
and examples. It is very helpful
http://www.balthaser.com/
- I like this site - It grabs your attention
immediately, and moves too quickly for you to get distracted by
anything
else. It is very effective in keeping the visitor focused on
their site
only.
http://www.polardesign.com/
- I like the design of this site, but the
flash intro is a little slow and drawn out. Although I like the
use of
the snowflakes and star throughout, the spelling of Polar Design
was a
little too time consuming.
http://www.architecture.yale.edu/ysoa-website/splashpage/splash.html#
- I
love the design of the site, but I hate that everything clicked
opens up a
new window. I found myself with three Yale School of Architecture
windows
open within the my first minute of looking at the site. The design
of the
pop-up index page with the flash buttons is great, but it is difficult
to
understand what the buttons link to unless you look for the tiny
text to
the right as you roll over them.
Osborn and Barr - I like this site because the design is so
clean and the
navigation and content is very simple. It gives you the info
you are
looking for and is pleasing and calming to the eye. Very understated
and
easy to use because it mimics a static html site in the way the
navigation
works and the content displays.
Bembo's Zoo - This site is a fun example of using text in FLash.
I think
that some of the animals are very creative and it is a good way
to think
about text a little differently. Using text is also a good way
to keep
the size of a flash movie small.
http://www.dennisinteractive.com/di_site/disite.html
Dennis Interactive - I like this site because of it's clean
and simple
design. It is an impressive and professional use of Flash without
being
overwhelming and chaotic. It is easy and fun to navigate through,
and
also supplies you with important information about the company
in a user
friendly way.
sixtyfootspider.com - online
communications company.
The splash page starts with text and objects moving and changing.
Next an
eye catching spider scampers across the screen as the rest of
the site
quickly downloads in the background. The site is simple yet intuitive.
Yupo.com - manufacturer of synthetic
paper.
I know they are only selling paper - but this site really makes
ordering
paper interesting. By using Flash, the Yupo Corporation is able
to
entertain visitors as they learn about Yupo's paper products.
I visited
the design section of the site for about 20 minutes learning about
the
company and I even ordered some free samples. The company also
has a
place to play games - another tool aimed to entertain visitors
as they
explore Yupo's product. They also have contests - one is a contest
for
designing the new election ballots.
Cyberteks.net - web design company
which is run by a 12 year old boy
named Keith Peiris (President and CEO of Cyberteks.net).
Good example of a powerful, engaging site. The show begins with
sound
playing as text and graphics move and shift position. The text
flying in
states the awards won by the web design company - good example
of engaging
new visitors while the rest of the site is downloading . As for
returning
visitors, they can skip the intro and go straigt to the main pages
of the
site. Overall the site is very animated with graphics and text
moving and
changing but the site it is still very easy to navigate through.
http://nikeshox.nike.com
I liked the popup 640x480 window, allowed for a cleaner look without
all
the browser tools. Nice, simple, sound effects. Took some time
to
completely download on a 56k connection.
A little deeper into the program is a section that has some nice
navigation with audio nikeshox.nike.com/american/longrun
http://www.fraboom.com
Nice preload screen that give you a percentage indicator. Integrated
Flash
elements throughout their site along with standard html elements.
http://www.fraboom.com/boomtoons/demo.asp , great cartoon animation.
http://www.brilliantdesign.com
Liked the simple navigation, easy to things. Under the "portfolio"
section
there is a sample using embedded video that works well.