my flash update

[habilis]

Still in the prototype phases so the links are not active. Also I'm aware of the slight pause at the end of the audio loop, still working on that. But I've spent hours creating this first page and I'm pretty proud of it ::love:: . I've done flash work before but nothing this elaborate.
http://bonkdown.com/index_flash.html
If you're on dialup I would appreciate your feedback on load times, and in what order do elements load. There is the top flash element, and the large bottem one. Also the audio is a separate element.

Photographic notes:
The eye is Barbs eye - altered the color, and the bolts are from an old iron bridge over the cuyahoga river. The self portrait is me in a red glowing light, trying my hardest to look cool.

 

[Mat]

I'm on dial-up and the time from when I clicked the link to the end of the animation was about a minute.

I like it, nice work.

 

[habilis]

Thanks, how long did it take for the flash to actually start playing?

 

[Cat]

Nit picking: When the image under "design" in the topmost animation restricts to fit the white guides, it retracts a wee bit too much to the right, and then jumps back that 1 mm to fit the vertical white line. I'd humbly suggest avoiding that, and letting it contract exactly as far as needed to fit the line.

Also the bottom white line (under you picture and the bolts) cuts through the picture instead of framing it. This is probably intentional?
Likewise with the top line (over the bolts and cutting the Emotion text): I think it would look better if you would move the "motion" text a wee bit upwards, so the line doesn't cut the horizontal bar of the "T" and fits under it, just like with the "E".

Beautiful page for the rest. Nice colors, nice animations and the music fits very well. You might consider adding a right margin: now the page is a bit empty on the left.

In Safari it loads very well (fast and smooth), but I've noticed some problems in Camino, delays in loading the main animation.

Slightly off-topic: I liked your 404 page ... could you move the 404 so that the 0 is exactly in the middle, under the gap between the two circles? That would look more balanced.

 

[edX]

no nitpicking. i think it looks pretty nice. but a couple of things to think about from a professional point of view. first, music without an offswitch is just plain rude. if you're sitting there in relative quiet or in an open work area, music is an interruption. at least make a button to turn it off from the beginning if one wishes. i personally hate forced music on websites and generally leave without exploring them further unless i am desperate for the info there.

second - while i find the creativity involved to be impressive, i wonder how many potential customers will want to wait thru all that flash before they can move forward - particularly on repeat visits. again, i'd put some sort of option to jump to the end if possible.

i say these things with no idea who your target market is. it's possible that certain subcultures that you wish to appeal to would react quite differently. but i think the average buisness person might be more befuddled, than patient enough to look much deeper.

 

[habilis]

Originally posted by Cat
Nit picking: When the image under "design" in the topmost animation restricts to fit the white guides, it retracts a wee bit too much to the right, and then jumps back that 1 mm to fit the vertical white line. I'd humbly suggest avoiding that, and letting it contract exactly as far as needed to fit the line.

That's supposed to be a gravitational effect, like when a car comes to a stop, it rolls back gently a little bit.

Originally posted by Cat
Likewise with the top line (over the bolts and cutting the Emotion text): I think it would look better if you would move the "motion" text a wee bit upwards, so the line doesn't cut the horizontal bar of the "T" and fits under it, just like with the "E".

yes. with this I agree, I've been looking at that "E" and how the line cuts through it and I'll change that soon.

Originally posted by Cat
Slightly off-topic: I liked your 404 page ... could you move the 404 so that the 0 is exactly in the middle, under the gap between the two circles? That would look more balanced. [/B]

I see what you mean. yeah I should change that, I whipped the image together quickly so I never noticed that.

Originally posted by edX
music without an offswitch is just plain rude. if you're sitting there in relative quiet or in an open work area, music is an interruption. at least make a button to turn it off from the beginning if one wishes.

Great observation. I agree. I gotta change that as soon as I learn the code

Originally posted by edX
i wonder how many potential customers will want to wait thru all that flash before they can move forward - particularly on repeat visits. again, i'd put some sort of option to jump to the end if possible.

Yeah, for repeat visitors I'm going to add a "skip intro" button sooner or later, but for a first timer, of any audience, I think the intro movie is bearable, not too long and interesting to the eyes. I actually don't plan out my site with a repeat visitor in mind. It's basically an advertisement for my services. People should see it once, either be very impressed and like it and want to have this look, or, they'll simply be unimpressed and won't desire it. The point of what I'm selling is that it's different and more exciting then the website standard out there. I want people to get an idea of what's possible.[/QUOTE]

Great observations you guys, thanks very much for the input.

 

[edX]

I actually don't plan out my site with a repeat visitor in mind. It's basically an advertisement for my services. People should see it once, either be very impressed and like it and want to have this look, or, they'll simply be unimpressed and won't desire it.

well, i'm thinking that i wouldn't make a decision like that in one visit, or even 2. i would first visit several designers' sites and narrow the field. then i would revisit the ones that made an impression. i likely might mull over that second visit and come up with some questions. at which point i might revisit a few and make contact. i would certainly be taking bids and weighing my options. or go back and make some portfolio comparisons. i might even be the guy making recomendations and want to show others something that impressed me on the site to make my point for using you and not want to confuse my associates with all the fancy stuff that they'll never want anyway.

i actually visited your site on 3 occassions before giving feedback. the first time i found it all very confusing until it was done. the second time i sat back and watched it unfold with appreciation. the third time it was less interesting and i would have preferred to skip it's duration.

i also note that you haven't added links yet, but it appears you will have one to yourself. i think that is a very important aspect of the site. most people will be buying you first and your product second.

one other positive i'll point out - your use of a mission statement as the text introduction. good job. showing goal orientation in that way is much more impressive than the usually vague - "you'll love us cause we try harder" kinds of things that people try to write into the body of their page.

 

[Arden]

When I minimize the toolbar in IE, the body of the movie shifts a little left and down, hiding the coolness beneath it.

 

[Pardus]

Good work Habilis. I don't mind the speed in which the site is built. It totally grooves with the music. The site is about desegn and experience and I think you captured it well. You could bump the frame rate a little bit maybe. I think people should wait and enjoy the site instead of just skip to build. It's not like they are coming to it to check their stocks or soemthing. People will come a few times to find out what you are about and wat you do and the experience will be good. however just make sure client sites load fast so they dont think all your work is slow build

 

[bobw]

I would definitely put a SKIP INTRO button on that page. The first time I go to a site, if it starts like this and I can't skip the intro, I leave.

You may want to force everyone to look at this the first time they visit the site, but how many will you lose because they didn't want to and just closed the page?

 

[habilis]

Originally posted by bobw
The first time I go to a site, if it starts like this and I can't skip the intro, I leave.

I only skip into's when they're extremely boring, which is rare.

About my targeted audience: The site is not aimed at "computer" people like yourself and others who may have some basic html skills and consume large ammounts of their time on the computer. It's aimed mainly at 25-55 year old males who want a futuristic/cutting edge look to replace their boring, still graphics website or create a brand new web presence but have no creative skills, or no clue or connection how to code it themselves. I meet people that fit this group very often.

The links are not active, and won't be active until Monday.