I dunno, Jeff… I adored the original TT, and think it really is an iconic automotive design. It’s on my short list for my next car. But the new one reminds me a bit much of the Chrysler Crossfire in profile, and I haven’t come to grips with the new Audi snout yet. That said, many of the details are exquisite, and maybe it’ll grow on me.
It took me 15 seconds before I was even at a point that I “could” view the car. I spent the first 5 seconds watching a load bar, the next 5 seconds watching another load bar after choosing “english” and then once the site was (apparently) loaded I spent a further 8-10 seconds thinking that the mini tutorial was some sort of navigation for the actual site. Once I finally realized that I had to click ready a bunch of pictures loaded and I finally had the opportunity to navigate.
Then, every time I click on -anything- I get treated to superfluous animation before I get a chance to do what I really wanted to do in the first place. Four or five clicks in, I still haven’t seen a view of the fucking car that tells me what it really looks like.
And then I gave up.
That tends to be my experience with almost every single site that is flash-based.
That tends to be my experience with almost every single site that is flash-based.
Perhaps, but it’s a bit unfair to the technology to say this is “why … Flash is problematic.” These are design issues, and the same issues could exist whether a site was designed with Flash, CSS, AJAX, QuickTime, Director, Java, or any other software. Likewise, it’s perfectly within the realm of a good designer to use Flash well and circumvent these design problems.
Regarding this site specifically, I like it. But I like it in the sense that it’s supposed to be experiential, different, disorienting, and exploratory. Obviously, the same design would fail miserably for a new site, but for a site like the — where the experience is the message — I think it works.
But if the message (the experience) makes people leave because they’re sick of waiting — the experiment fails.
Perhaps, but it’s a bit unfair to the technology to say this is ‘why ‘¦ Flash is problematic.’
I’m not really sure that it is. Sites built in Flash tend to have this problem and my experience has always been that most really involved Flash sites have these same problems. I’m looking mainly to movie related sites as they tend to be the sites that are built in this way and that I am likely to visit.
Whatever it is about Flash — even good designers seem to think that waiting is a trade off for the visuals that it offers and (in my opinion) I’d rather see what I came to see than wait to see it.
But you can create those same visuals using Javascript. Wouldn’t it be just as annoying if you hit a site using Javascript in that way? Similarly, wouldn’t you experience be just as good if you hit a site using Flash without making you wait?
I’m just saying that sites built in that way tend to be based around Flash and that (I don’t think) people use Javascript to build sites like that.
I think Flash is a great tool, but I think it favors form over function. My experience (limited, I will admit) is that I leave a lot of Flash-based sites without learning what i wanted to learn because I didn’t have the desire to be wowed by visuals. I don’t know what it is about Flash, but it just seems to invite designers to leave their KISS at the door.
I’m just saying that sites built in that way tend to be based around Flash and that (I don’t think) people use Javascript to build sites like that.
I’ve seen a few — but you’re right, Flash is used for that kind of thing more than any other technology.
I think Flash is a great tool, but I think it favors form over function.
Nah, I think Flash designers tend to prefer form over function. Flash doesn’t care if your site is all function or all form — it happily goes either way. But, there’s definitely tendency or the type of designer that prefers form over function to also be the type of designer that would prefer Flash over other technologies.
I don’t know what it is about Flash, but it just seems to invite designers to leave their KISS at the door.
Now we’re closer to agreeing. :) But, I still think it’s not really an invitation from Flash — it’s a lack of restraint by designers.
Apologies… I’ve wandered in here after doing a search for the music playing on the site. Was hoping for a lead on who the musicians might be.
All in, I think it’s a unique experience, and worth enjoying. Picking it apart and cackling at the mechanics (of the site, use of Flash etc) seems to reduce it all to yet another forum-filling, useless debate.
001 // Baxter // 10.20.2006 // 2:14 PM
I dunno, Jeff… I adored the original TT, and think it really is an iconic automotive design. It’s on my short list for my next car. But the new one reminds me a bit much of the Chrysler Crossfire in profile, and I haven’t come to grips with the new Audi snout yet. That said, many of the details are exquisite, and maybe it’ll grow on me.
002 // Brian Ford // 10.20.2006 // 10:21 PM
uniquely designed website. I dig it.
Here’s why I think Flash is problematic:
It took me 15 seconds before I was even at a point that I “could” view the car. I spent the first 5 seconds watching a load bar, the next 5 seconds watching another load bar after choosing “english” and then once the site was (apparently) loaded I spent a further 8-10 seconds thinking that the mini tutorial was some sort of navigation for the actual site. Once I finally realized that I had to click ready a bunch of pictures loaded and I finally had the opportunity to navigate.
Then, every time I click on -anything- I get treated to superfluous animation before I get a chance to do what I really wanted to do in the first place. Four or five clicks in, I still haven’t seen a view of the fucking car that tells me what it really looks like.
And then I gave up.
That tends to be my experience with almost every single site that is flash-based.
003 // Jeff Croft // 10.21.2006 // 3:32 AM
Perhaps, but it’s a bit unfair to the technology to say this is “why … Flash is problematic.” These are design issues, and the same issues could exist whether a site was designed with Flash, CSS, AJAX, QuickTime, Director, Java, or any other software. Likewise, it’s perfectly within the realm of a good designer to use Flash well and circumvent these design problems.
Regarding this site specifically, I like it. But I like it in the sense that it’s supposed to be experiential, different, disorienting, and exploratory. Obviously, the same design would fail miserably for a new site, but for a site like the — where the experience is the message — I think it works.
004 // Brian Ford // 10.21.2006 // 8:07 AM
where the experience is the message
But if the message (the experience) makes people leave because they’re sick of waiting — the experiment fails.
Perhaps, but it’s a bit unfair to the technology to say this is ‘why ‘¦ Flash is problematic.’
I’m not really sure that it is. Sites built in Flash tend to have this problem and my experience has always been that most really involved Flash sites have these same problems. I’m looking mainly to movie related sites as they tend to be the sites that are built in this way and that I am likely to visit.
Whatever it is about Flash — even good designers seem to think that waiting is a trade off for the visuals that it offers and (in my opinion) I’d rather see what I came to see than wait to see it.
005 // Jeff Croft // 10.21.2006 // 3:28 PM
But you can create those same visuals using Javascript. Wouldn’t it be just as annoying if you hit a site using Javascript in that way? Similarly, wouldn’t you experience be just as good if you hit a site using Flash without making you wait?
006 // Brian Ford // 10.21.2006 // 3:57 PM
Sure —
I’m just saying that sites built in that way tend to be based around Flash and that (I don’t think) people use Javascript to build sites like that.
I think Flash is a great tool, but I think it favors form over function. My experience (limited, I will admit) is that I leave a lot of Flash-based sites without learning what i wanted to learn because I didn’t have the desire to be wowed by visuals. I don’t know what it is about Flash, but it just seems to invite designers to leave their KISS at the door.
007 // Jeff Croft // 10.21.2006 // 4:09 PM
I’ve seen a few — but you’re right, Flash is used for that kind of thing more than any other technology.
Nah, I think Flash designers tend to prefer form over function. Flash doesn’t care if your site is all function or all form — it happily goes either way. But, there’s definitely tendency or the type of designer that prefers form over function to also be the type of designer that would prefer Flash over other technologies.
Now we’re closer to agreeing. :) But, I still think it’s not really an invitation from Flash — it’s a lack of restraint by designers.
008 // Jason // 02.01.2007 // 1:45 PM
Apologies… I’ve wandered in here after doing a search for the music playing on the site. Was hoping for a lead on who the musicians might be.
All in, I think it’s a unique experience, and worth enjoying. Picking it apart and cackling at the mechanics (of the site, use of Flash etc) seems to reduce it all to yet another forum-filling, useless debate.
My 2 cents. Good night!