Despite the aesthetic benefits that flash can bring to a website, far more disadvantages exist when applied to the content-driven website of a professional service firm. What you typically gain in eye-catching graphics and animation, you lose in usability, navigation, and overall comprehension of your information architecture.
If potential clients cannot effectively navigate your information architecture, the website will not be a valuable tool in demonstrating the firm’s thought leadership. Ultimately, prospects will not understand what services or solutions can be beneficial to their organization, nor convinced that your organization has the best people and experience to get the job done.
First, lets establish what applications of flash I am specifically referring to. The following is a list of applications that I feel are most relevant, but this is by no means comprehensive:
1. Flash Introductions
2. Rotating Logo, or Mission Statement
3. Flash Navigation
For the sake of time, I will just focus on Flash Introductions. You will find that the rationale can be equally applied to the other two applications, and will give you a...