Flash Usability Challenge

A winner was found! Challenge ended: 20-Sept-2000

Let me set the tone. I'm generally agnostic about technology. I have no vested interest in Macintosh and I don't have the Open Source or Linux religion. I don't stand up for, or promote, Windows or Adobe Photoshop either. Or any other operating systems, programming languages, or design tools. These things simply don't matter to me. I could care less that someone has used Java or C++ to develop a product or service.  I just want fast and easy services, great news, and solid web applications.

I do care about developing and providing solutions that augment the customer experience. The key for me is identifying and providing effective, high quality web sites. For me, usability is a huge part of the customer experience. I basically filter every article and email and news posting as either helping or harming the customer experience. In a nutshell, the general usability of web sites is important to me.

That is why I am sick and tired of people telling that Flash is great. People tell me it is cool but I think that it ruins the customer experience. I think that it should be thrown out as an e-commerce tool, except in rare cases of promotion and marketing. Maybe it is useful for entertainment, personal web sites, art and game sites, but it isn't any good for e-commerce. 

I don't care that there are over 40 million Flash players in place and that Macromedia reports over 150,000 downloads per day. These numbers might be the result of designers and Macromedia shoving Flash down the unwilling throats of web users. More importantly, these numbers do not mean that Flash facilitates effective e-commerce.  I claim that Flash is simply a tool that lets creative designers do cool things. Flash sure is popular but I think it is mostly popular with designers. I love designers, but I hate Flash. It is not a tool to help general web users or e-business customers. 

Unfortunately, there are more designers than usability experts and customer experience professionals. There are many designers doing a great job and I salute them. However, the majority of Flash designers are creating hard to use, designer-oriented web sites. There are just not enough people standing up for regular users. I do love designers, I really do, but all too often they think they know what users want and need. They are often wrong and their creativity is wasted because they have not talked with users nor have they tested their designs with real people. Flash just furthers the illusion that cool design is good for users. 

Here are the rules of the Flash Usability Challenge:

If someone can provide me with just one example of an effective and usable web site using Flash, from a company generating a profit, I will shut up and apologize. In fact, I will pay the first person that can clearly demonstrate this. Yes, I am offering money to the first person "proving" that Flash can be used by a company to turn a profit. 

1. Through my usability consulting firm (WebWord.com) I will offer $50 to first person that clearly demonstrates to me a company that primarily uses Flash on its web site and turns a profit. In other words, I want to see a site that can service customers and turn a profit while using Flash technology. I don't think it can be done. UPDATE: Anton Shepps of Catalyst Internet has added another $100 to the pot. And, Chris MacGregor of Flazoom added $50. Therefore, the winner, if there is one, will receive $200!

2. The core of the site must be driven by Flash. That is, I don't want to see just a Flash splash page. At least 75% of the site must be written with Flash. For example, the navigation should be in Flash, as well as product offerings and other content. Try to show me a site that really uses Flash extensively, including a shopping cart and personalization system. HTML, DHTML, CGI, etc. are all acceptable tools to be used with Flash. However, the site must clearly be a "Flash site". 

3. The company with the site must be profitable without any outside corporate help. For example, if Barnes and Noble supported an online arm of their business, and the site used Flash, it won't count. In other words, I need proof that a site written with Flash can produce profits on its own; the Mothership can't help by falsely generating profits or absorbing costs. The company must officially and publicly state in some place that it is profitable, or someone from the company must verify that the company is in the black.  

4. The site can sell any products or services or content. I don't care. But lets get real: The site should be profitable because of its e-commerce activities (sales and revenues) not because it isn't burning up its venture capital. 

5. I am the whole of the law. I am the judge and jury since I am offering the money. However, if there any disputes I will offer them up on WebWord.com so folks can see them. Comments will be considered. Pro-Flash experts will be consulted when necessary!

6. The winner will be publicly announced on WebWord.com and the details of the company will be described well enough to prove to other people that, indeed, Flash can turn a profit. I will sing the praises of the company when it is announced.

I simply do not think that any person can demonstrate to me that a site written in Flash can produce a customer experience that will turn a profit. Flash produces web sites that are not suitable to e-commerce. I propose that Flash-driven web sites are not usable and web sites offering products and services cannot use Flash to satisfy customers. 

Are you a Flash designer? Do extensively use Flash to run your e-commerce web site? Are you angry? Good! You can win $50 and put me in my place. 

If you think you have a winner, send your name, URL, company name, and supporting (profitability) information to: flash_usability@webword.com

John S. Rhodes
WebWord.com -- Usability News and Research 
Technology. Humans. Experience. 
john@webword.com
http://webword.com
607-427-WORD (9673)

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