Thursday, February 09, 2012
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Flash Portfolio

Although it was traditionally used to provide eye candy on websites, you can do so much more using Flash. Interactive tools can be developed to help your customers better understand your product or service, advanced navigation systems add flair to your site, truly fantastic animated image galleries can be created...the list goes on forever.

I've been developing applications in Flash for over 5 years. Although I use it a lot less these days than I used to, it's indispensable for things like video streaming. I still enjoy getting the old girl fired it up, and using it to create something special for a website.

The examples given below demonstrate a range of different uses that I've applied Flash to. Full sites, product configurators, novelty fun items, games, galleries, promotional CDs, navigation systems. Have a look through, if you are still developing ideas for your site it might provide you with a bit of inspiration.

 

Interactive Tools - Configurator

Product Configuration Tool

This tool was developed (in conjunction with German design agency Coma) for Webasto AG - a German manufacturer of air conditioning systems and heaters who supply the luxury car and yacht market.

The client has an often bewilderingly large range of products, so we developed the tool to allow customers to input their own individual parameters using radio buttons and sliders - the system then automatically configures and presents them with an optimal product solution tailored to their own needs.

It was used in company's interactive CD brochure for it's Marine division (the CD is also featured in this section), and I also deployed it on the Boatcraft website. Click here to use it.


   

Dynamic Image Galleries

Dynamic Image Gallery

The best image galleries use subtle and minimalist design, ensuring the site doesn't detract from the main focus - the images themselves.

This image gallery detects the user's screen resolution and serves up one of three images depending on the available screen space. The thumbnails and the pagination results are recalculated and redisplayed if the browser window changes size.

The script runs from an XML file, making the gallery relatively straightforward to update with new images.

You can view it by clicking here.


   

Games

Games

This game was created for Sydney based marketing agency Kindle Creative.

The game itself is a straightforward memory game, the idea was to develop creative interface, allowing users to interact and investigate the various client case studies. My favourites include the fruit machine, the 'Joker' monkey (which amuses me every time I hear it), and the lit match in the preloader.

I think it works really well, it was fun to create and Kindle have a very cool office in Balmain which I thoroughly enjoyed working in!

You can view it by clicking here.


   

Novelty Fun Items

The League of Sawmill Personnel

This client always have fun items relating to 'The Gang' on their website. No cheddary team photo of the employees here - past flash content has included hillbilly, and pre-war labourer themes. I came up with this one after reading 'The Scarlet Pimpernel'.

It uses a 'Page Flip' script that enables the viewer to click and drag the corners of the pages, revealing the frankly ludicrous 'faux Pimpernel' characters within.

Having a self deprecating website seems to make the employees within the business much more approachable to new customers.

Click here to use it.


   

Navigation Systems

Animated Navigation

This site was created a few years ago, using 100% Flash. To give it a little bit of panache, I developed a 3D feature window underneath the main information panel.

It was linked in to the navigation, so that as the user clicked between the different options on the left, they were transported through a 'story' on the right. They flew from Home, up through a painting above the fireplace, and through a landscape which demonstrated scenes relevant to the page they had entered.

It was developed by combining Flash with After Effects. The idea behind it was to encourage users to explore the whole site, and warm to the concept and the client as a result. Click here to view it.


   

Interactive CDs / DVDs

Interactive CDs / DVDs

In this case the client, Webasto AG, needed something with a little more punch than a brochure to hand out at the London Boatshow. They were also fed up with having stacks of old out-of-date brochures on their hands. These CDs could be economically produced in small runs, and updated and rerun accordingly.

This Flash Presentation file was created to autoplay on Windows machines and Macs. I arranged for the high quality silk-screen printed discs to be produced and delivered. They proved very successful in generating sales.

You can view it by clicking here. Bear in mind it was created for CD, so it's not the quickest to load over the web.


   

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