by Steve Street

Sams, July, 2001.
Trade Paperback, 289 pages.
ISBN: 0672320797

Flash for the Real World takes an in-depth look at case studies where Flash design is used for ecommerce websites. The book includes six different Flash design projects: a product demo using Flash, a digital holiday card, design for a medical engineering corporate website, design for a web design company site, LEGO building blocks and an interactive Flash-based room planner for Furniture.com (which has since gone out of business).

The designs are from Flash designer Steve Street, who is an independent consultant for his own company, Hookimu Interactive Solutions. Each design describes the thought process, steps and presentations used to present each Flash design to the client and complete the final project. Street does an excellent job of presenting the business side of each project, including handling clients and budgets. These are subjects many designers would rather ignore, even when it is in their best interest to make the client's needs and wishes their top priority. Street also discusses the intricate Flash details and provides code and animation techniques. An enclosed CD-Rom includes the code for the case studies in the book. The book also provides links and descriptions of good Flash resources available online. This book provides an interesting study of Flash design projects that is helpful to professional Flash developers; beginners will also need to purchase an introductory book that covers the basics in order to have a full understanding of Flash.

Flash for the Real World is available for purchase on Amazon.com

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This review was published in the September, 2001 of The Internet Writing Journal.

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