.COZA Web Design : Flash Animation

SUMMARY Website Animation

Just because we can, doesn't mean we should. Animation can enhance a website, but it's important to practice restraint. Ask yourself what the purpose is in making your customers wait while an animation of your rotating logo is loading, and is anyone really going to be impressed by the way the butterflies glide all over the screen? Animations, if not obviously useful, should be tasteful and not detract from the product or service you are promoting. We can achieve this for you.

Flash Animation

There are a few ways to achieve 2D animation, the most popular being Flash because of the scope and variety of impressive effects available. Many designers build entire websites in flash, but we, although completely capable, do not. The reason is because searchbots (the web crawlers that search engines send to your site) can't read flash, and if they can't determine what your site is about or navigate through different pages in your site, your search rank will suffer. If you don't care bout your website being found by the public, you can request a quote from us for an entirely flash site, but otherwise it's best to restrict flash animation to an area that doesn't contain your menu or any keyword-rich content, for example a top banner.

JavaScript Animation

Though not as slick as flash, JavaScript animation, if done properly, has the advantage of being search engine friendly, so if you want a simple animated slideshow banner but also want to add a few key phrases, this is the best route.

HTML5 Canvas Animation

With the recent unveiling of the new canvas tag in HTML5, JavaScript animation is gaining popularity. For example, one can now animate a button using sprites and still have search engine readable anchor text.

Gif Animation

A .gif is a picture file that can be animated. Unlike other picture files, the file size is determined by the number of colours used. Animated gif files were once very popular on websites, but their limitations and tediousness of frame by frame animation have been their demise.

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Web Design Special

If you commission us to design a website, you also have the option of us designing the logo for the same company for free. More on Web Design

Web Animation Glossary

.gif A type of picture file which can be animated or static, with or without transparent areas. Stands for Graphic Interchange format. Animation Elements that move on the page, for example a slideshow or a spinning graphic. Flash 2D Animation created in a program called Adobe Flash (previously a Macromedia product). These animations are most often used on websites and digital presentations. JavaScript A scripting language that can be embedded in an HTML page or accessed by an HTML page as an external document (.js) to create effects or useful programming, such as form validation. HTML5 Canvas Animation A new HTML tag which designates an area of the screen for use with JavaScript animation. Sprite A series of images strung together and then called upon in sequence to produce an animation.

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