It’s a given among web cognoscenti that 99.95% of Flash-based web sites are using the Macromedia technology for all the wrong reasons. From intro splash pages as endless as they are useless… to sites that make a user wade through thigh-deep animated sludge to get to the simplest information… Flash is getting a bad, bad name. (It’s the phenomenon spoofed perfectly by the kind folks at Skipintro.)
So what a relief to be steered the other day to the web site of one Marie Arena, the Socialist minister of training in Belgium’s Walloon province.
What works about this site? First, and very important, you don’t have to use Flash to use the site; there’s a link to an HTML version – a relief if you’re using an older browser or a slow connection.
Second, they keep the bandwidth nice and low. No waiting for ages while a “l…o…a…d…i…n…g” graphic stares back at you.
And third, the Flash does something. It isn’t just meaningless animation; you can actually play with it, and it plays back. It breaks through the stodgy stereotype of a European government bureaucracy. You can get the information you want without waiting for animations to finish, but if you’re in a leisurely mood, it’s a lot of fun to watch. And that’s in keeping with the site’s apparent mission of engaging younger visitors.
One last thing – kudos to Ms. Arena for giving her staff such a prominent role on the site. It’s nice to see a politician who breaks the taboo against admitting that you have a staff, let alone rely on them.
