Attn Web Design People

What are your opinions on the use of layers? As in a layered navigation menu like the one used here :

http://www.microsoft.com

Also what are your thoughts on using flash? Do many people still not have flash plugin ? Would this restrict the audience of the site too much ?

http://www.ivivi.co.nz

Rip the code outta that and use it if you want... its all javascript so if you're good you can get it.

off the top of my head, Flash has something like a 90% penetration.

Thanks that's a cool script. But does using this type of menu make it difficult to make changes down the track ? i.e would adding in new submenus mean you would need to reposition layers ?

nope, that one is all based on SQL as well When the site owner adds ranges or series it automatically adds them

Most people have flash, but most people also HATE sites that are almost entirely flash. They're one of the most painful things to use !

Im sure he was talking about for menus Pete... and transparent flash suits perfectly... nothin out there beats the one on ivivi.co.nz at the moment tho

As far as I'm concerned: avoid shit that moves (flash, jscript menus) unless you really need it, or you don't give a crap about the usability of your site.

Ivivi.co.nz falls down a bit when you don't have flash.

Why not download and install the latest version now? It will only take a moment.
haha

i find dicking around with the more advanced features of JavaScript is often really tricky to get working on multiple browsers... avoid if possible.

flash is great when used sparingly and for what it's meant to be for; animations and little widgets. most people have the plug-in and it runs on multiple platforms fairly consistantly. if you use it for the whole site then it is very easy to make something which will confuse people, and the search engines won't be able to index it decently.

so did you?

Nope.

Does the main part of the site use flash? (I don't know what's what)

When I looked at the site in IE I noticed that a few of the links were broken btw.

It depends a lot on your audience....

But anyone using a browser less than a couple of years old should have no problem with layers/JS/CSS.

And agree with what people have said about flash... a whole site in flash is annoying... but 'widgets' are fine, if done properly

No? NO!? That says a lot about someone.

The main part of the site has no flash, the company wanted a flash intro and didnt want to pay much for it... hence its practically a powerpoint slideshow.... haha... worst work ever

How come a non-flash user doesn't just get taken to the main part, instead of being told to bog off (er I mean download flash)?

The intro's so cheesy Nothing screams "style" like a cheddar intro. Web design customers are mental.

I'm still stuck using tables, and the odd absolute positioned layer.

I'd eventually like to be able replace every <TABLE> tage with a <DIV> tag, but I've just gotten so used to splicing things up for tables now that I can't really be fucked learning how to apply CSS layout techniques to my design ideas.

And yeah as far as flash goes, intros, menus and widgets, not entire sites.

Because you should download flash

Seriously though?

yes. seriously.

so ivivi don't want to bother advertising to people without flash?

ok new thread.

actually not now... but I will...

who the hell doesn't have flash really ?hardcore code freaks and platform whingers who complain about that extra 2MB of RAM which is being taken up by a "bloated" app... get a grip I reckon

Wot do u guys think of this site www.useit.com?[/url]

Most of what Jakob Nielsen writes is spot on, I think.

yeah its funny how he meant to be the foremost expert in systems usability when his own website isnt exactly that usable

that is one of the most usable web sites i've ever seen.

your definition of usable must be different to his.

Yeah i agree the content could be better laid out