Web Design

Jealous! Yes, I have to admit it. I hate or should I say hated Flash and the clever designers who used it. Phew! What a relief to get that out of my system. I have developed a way of life whereby I must seek the truth within myself and speak it – no matter how painful it is or seems.

If you take truth away from life then what kind of life is one living? Surely, the quality must be compared to fast food and food prepared with the utmost respect. If you seek the truth then there’s no comparison. Ok, with that revelation out of the way I can say that the reason why I scorned websites that feature Flash in a major way is because I didn’t know how to do it; simple as that.

Cheat

Like most people who wanted to avoid the truth I eventually cheated and bought myself an inexpensive Flash placebo in the form of SWiSH Max (see the SWiSHzOne.com). “Cheating” may be a strong term to use, but as a wannabe Web Designer SWiSH Max is not going to do it for me as I should be able to use Adobe’s Flash instead or in conjunction with. Sure, there are times whereby SWiSH Max’s effects work wonders on text, etc, but the danger is that there’d be less of a distinction from other SWiSH Max users. I believe that if one is going to use “professional” in the same sentence as “Web Designer” then knowing how to use Adobe Flash is essential. There’s no getting around that fact –only it took me x amount of years before I could be honest with myself.

Consideration

I guess it’s fair to say that everyone has their view point on how they see the use of Flash. That’s what makes designers’ unique. Personally, I appreciate it when designers give the recipient options to turn sound off, to stop a potentially irritating animation… There again, it all comes down to personal taste. What I find irritating is someone else’s joy. But when it comes down to it if I’m just spectator and not a doer I’ll never create something in Adobe’s Flash that is unique to me.

Futuretrend’s Dreamweaver courses bowled me over! I just had to get myself on the Intro to Flash course too! Boy, am I glad I did! Girl, am I glad I did! Let me tell you something: a couple of years ago or so I paid £695 for a Flash course that was 2 days in duration. What? Only 2 days? Sure, I had a nice meal in a swanky restaurant in Islington, North London, but the food would, as it did, eventually pass. I would have preferred to have had a decent Flash course that would have stuck in my mind.

The difference between Futuretrend and the unnamed training facility is that I had something to show at the end of the course. I was able to build a site made entirely from Flash without prompting from the course Tutor.

Now I can feel confident that I can use the industry standard original instead of solely relying upon a placebo. It’s easier when you put yourself in a position to know how; harder when you’re in denial. I still get jealous of a truly talented Flash design, but it makes me strive to do better.