Building Flash® Web Sites For Dummies®

Chapter 2. Before You Build Your Site

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Planning your site

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Getting information from your client

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Knowing your target audience

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Creating a storyboard

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Gathering raw material for the site

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It is always best to begin at the beginning. I know that sounds like useless advice, but many Web designers launch Flash as soon as they think they know where they’re going. Then, lo and behold, they start assembling a Flash document for their Web site and find out that they don’t have a clue. Planning and doing legwork before you actually start building the site takes time, but in the long run, it saves time. To quote George Harrison, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” In this chapter, I show you how to lay out a path that ensures success. You find out how to get your ducks in a row ahead of time by getting all the necessary information from your client and then gathering all of the assets you can’t build in Flash.

Knowing Your Mission

The Empire State Building in New York City is a monument that has stood the test of time. The construction crew didn’t just pull into town, set up some scaffolding, and start raising some steel. They had a well-thought-out plan of attack and a set of blueprints. Building a Flash Web site is not nearly as daunting as building a skyscraper, but it is a task best not left to chance. ...