Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Adding Media to a Web Site
Media
refers to any special confi gurable object added to a Web page that needs a player
or an application that is not part of the browser (such as plug-ins, ActiveX controls, or
helper applications) to display within a browser. The terms “player” and “plug-in” are
used in this tutorial to refer generally to the above-mentioned technologies. Some of the
most useful media used in Web pages are Flash, Shockwave, sound, and video. You often
need a special software package, separate from the player or plug-in, to create a media
component. For example, you create Flash applications and animations in the Adobe
Flash software. After you have created a media element, you can insert it into a Web
page and users can view it using the player or plug-in. Users view Flash fi les that you
have inserted into your Web pages with the Flash Player.
In the rest of this tutorial, you learn about Flash, Shockwave, sound, and video, and
then add each type of element to the NextBest Fest site.
Decision Making: Using Media to Enhance the User's Experience
No matter what media you add to a site, make sure that you have a purpose for includ-
ing that element. The animation, game, audio, or movie must enhance the site, contribute
to the user experience, and reinforce the site goals. Be discriminating. You do not want
to overwhelm the user with too much glitz. When determining what to add to pages,
consider whether the proposed element will enhance the user's ability to grasp the site
goals or distract them from focusing on the message. If the element will distract the user,
discard it. This might mean cutting an innovative or creative element. Keep in mind the
technological limitations of the target audience. Be sure that the target audience can easily
access media elements that communicate necessary information. For example, if you plan
to communicate vital information in large video files, make sure that most users will have
access to computers new enough to play those files. Most media require a plug-in to run on
the client computer. Some plug-ins are included with the latest browsers; others must be
downloaded by the user. Before incorporating media into a site, learn what plug-in users
will need to view each element, determine the likelihood that users have those plug-ins,
and assess how difficult it is for users to get a needed plug-in. Be aware that media ele-
ments often use considerable bandwidth. Evaluate the connection speed and the computer
speed for your target audience to determine if the client computer can display the media
element effectively without prolonged delays. If users have to wait too long to view a page,
they often lose interest and move to another site. Users usually wait longer for an item
they perceive to be important than for an item they perceive to be unimportant. If you are
asking users to wait for your site to load, make sure that the wait is worth their time. When
you add multimedia elements to the site, consider accessibility. Many media elements are
not accessible to users who have impairments and rely on assistive devices. Because of this
limitation, do not use multimedia elements to communicate vital content. Instead, use the
elements to augment and reinforce the site content. Also, be sure to add descriptive text
to alt tags for multimedia elements so impaired users can understand what those elements
are communicating.
In addition to these general concerns, explore the most common use of each media type
(for example, Flash is frequently used to create animations) and consider both the pros and
the cons associated with each type of media element.
Understanding Adobe Flash
Flash
was one of the fi rst widely used animation programs that used vector-based graph-
ics. Because vector-based graphics can scale and compress to a very small fi le size
without losing quality, Flash has become one of the premier solutions for creating and
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