The Trend Toward Flash as a Tool for Web Application Development
A growing movement offers new opportunities for user assistance professionals
By Joe Welinske, WinWriters
Contents
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Introduction 
Despite the slowed economy and IT cutbacks, the drive toward web-based applications continues to have enormous momentum. The software industry, in general, is lured by the Web's ubiquitous connectivity. IT departments are enamored with the potential for controlling deployment costs. The set of standards developed by the World Wide Consortium (W3C) has certainly changed the software landscape in a very short time.
However, many software developers see the current HTML "Page" model to be unacceptable as a long-term form of application delivery. HTML was designed to publish research papers and not to facilitate mission-critical computing tasks. While the most basic applications may get by with the use of HTML forms, most of the software industry is made up of robust, complex, thick-client code. Maintaining the high performance we have enjoyed with desktop workstations means looking past the HTML approach.
For the developers of enterprise software, Microsoft .NET is likely to be the future. Fortune 500 companies are being very cautious with plans for large-scale web-based applications, while they wait for something of substance to materialize from Redmond. In the interim, both large and small organizations are looking for solutions to help them offer better performance and user experience with their current Web applications. Forrester Research, a prominent technology consulting firm, has identified an emerging category of web applications that they call the "Executable Internet." This X Internet is enabled by lightweight, "smart code," installed on the client. The idea is to leverage the power of desktop computers rather than ignoring it.
Macromedia Flash MX
One of the most well-known of these X Internet tools is Macromedia Flash MX. This product has come a very long way since its introduction as a web animation utility back in 1996. In its latest form, Flash offers an easy-to-use, WYSIWYG editor; a robust scripting language called ActionScript; and an extremely compact file format. Macromedia has gone beyond courting graphic designers and is actively evangelizing Flash capabilities to programmers—and it's finding a lot of converts.
The main advantage of Flash is that it adds a rich layer of programmability on top of the W3C standards. Macromedia has even coined the phrase "Rich Internet Applications" (RIAs) to reflect this. When a Flash application is launched, it effectively takes over the user terminal. It efficiently accepts user input, processes the needed business logic on the client, communicates with the server, and redraws the screen. All of this is accomplished without the stuttering, stammering client-server conversation we experience with HTML applications.
Of course, browser compatibility is always a first concern when we talk about escaping the cocoon of HTML. With Flash, browser compatibility is a non-issue. Flash works on Windows and the Mac and is bundled with Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, AOL, and Opera. This puts Flash in the hands of over 500 million users. A survey conducted by NDP Research showed that 98% of Web users can experience Macromedia Flash content without having to download and install a separate player. The Flash plug-in is also available as a free download from Macromedia.
The Yankee Candle web site offers a good introductory example of how a Flash application improves on the standard HTML page model. The Yankee Candle online service is based on using the Web to gather large-volume orders for custom-designed candles. Placing a candle order requires making several selections and entries regarding text message, candle color, fragrance, wrapping, and payment. In the Custom Candle application shown in Figure 1, there is a single, static UI for the entire order process. As the user makes selections, a graphical representation of the candle is dynamically built in the center of the screen. The user can make changes to the candle easily and quickly, without any need to use Back and Forward browser buttons. The interactivity of the application makes experimentation fun instead of a chore.
Figure 1: Yankee Candle Custom Candle Application
A more robust example of the use of Flash can be found in the hotel reservation world. A company called iHotelier develops GUIs for web-based hotel reservation systems. Using Flash, it has been able to package a very complex array of logic and data into a streamlined, easy-to-use interface. Figure 2 shows the UI for the Hotel Pennsylvania reservation system. The entire transaction consisting of room selection, date selection, payment, and confirmation, can all be handled by a single screen. Flash also makes possible a number of subtle, but valuable features. When the user selects a certain room type, a photo of that type of room is immediately displayed in the lower center of the screen. In the personal info fields, the user enters text right over the field names, allowing the developers to conserve valuable screen real estate.
Figure 2: Hotel Pennsylvania Reservation System
While a Flash UI can be made to be very intuitive, users may still have questions associated with terminology and process. The iHotelier developers recognized that user assistance can be a valuable addition to the core application. The most obvious assistance is the embedding and highlighting of short procedural steps at the top of each of the three major sections as shown in Figures 2 and 3. More detailed Help is available by clicking on the tab in the top right corner. A roll-down shade effect is used to present this content as shown in Figure 3. In contrast to Help tools like HTML Help and WebHelp, which spawn a new instance of the browser, this Flash Help window is fully integrated into the UI. (On a side note, the grammar errors and convoluted text indicate that the iHotelier UA could have benefited from the presence of a technical writer!)
Figure 3: Embedded User Assistance Components
The reservation system for The Broadmoor hotel also uses the iHotelier UI structure. The user assistance in this setting relies on the use of popup windows to display Help content. In Figure 4, the user has clicked on one of the "Legend" icons in the calendar area of the application. This particular popup design dismisses the window as soon as the user releases the mouse button, eliminating the need for a "Close" button.
Figure 4: Popup Help Windows in The Broadmoor App
The flexibility of the Flash programming environment means that the developer could have used a "Close" button if that was preferred. In fact, Flash opens up a great many possibilities for user assistance. We can design the UA based on the needs of our users rather than the limitations of browser technology. For example, complex applications could easily integrate a dedicated Help pane into one section of the UI. The content in that pane could change as users access different product features. Or specific Help messages could appear based on a sequence of events. Or the type and frequency of Help could be controlled by the user through Personal Preferences.
Ultimately, the importance of Flash technology for user assistance professionals is tied to the growth in the popularity of Flash application development. If you learn that your organization or your clients are considering developing Flash apps, you will want to start preparing to contribute to that activity. An understanding of Flash will be essential to your developing effective UA designs. Creating prototypes will require exposure to and practice with the Flash visual editor. It also means learning the rudiments of ActionScript—the Flash version of JavaScript. Beyond that, it's a matter of taking our experience with communication techniques and applying that to an expanded vision of UA possibilities.
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Joe Welinske: jw@winwriters.com
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