Flash Application Design Solutions shows you how to harness the power of ActionScript 2.0 and make the most of the improved design tools of Flash 8 to create usable, intuitive Flash interfaces.
In this book, you'll find a number of concrete Flash usability solutions that use elements such as navigation menus, data filtering, forms, content loaders, Flash liquid layouts, help tips, and many other features. You'll learn how each of these solutions actually improves on what is possible with HTML and JavaScript. In each case, you'll see how users interact with the website feature, and how it gives users the most intuitive, enjoyable experience possible while using your application. You'll get a step-by-step analysis of how to program and build each solution, and how to make it scalable, maintainable, and reusable.
The book concludes with a case study that showcases the solutions developed in the previous chapters, all working together in a single application. This example puts all the pieces together and highlights just how, with some thought and consideration, Flash can improve usability on the Web.
This book is essential reading for all Flash designers and developers, from beginners seeking valid solutions to veteran Flashers looking for a fresh perspective on application design, interaction, and reusability.
Flash's reputation has improved, due to a general increase in usability awareness, and improved software features. These days, the average Flash site can be just as usable and compact as its HTML counterparts-and better looking and more dynamic. But how do you design and develop a professional, usable, and visually appealing Flash site, that provides users with a memorable and enjoyable online experience? In Flash Design Solutions, Craig Bryant and Ka Wai Cheung show you how.
From the reviews:
"This is a great book, not just in terms of the subject, which integrates usability concepts with an application framework, but in terms of clarity and organization. ? The main goal is to explain how to develop complex applications with a rich and efficient user experience. ? Each chapter has an introduction to the topic discussed, and then proceeds to tackle the code. ? I recommend this book as a tutorial for new developers, and as a companion for experienced developers." (Jose M. Ramirez, ACM Computing Reviews, September, 2008)
