Thank-you for your feedback.

As I mentioned in my postmortem, the project was created on a shoestring budget and under a very tight schedule. Beyond that, however, on certain projects you do not always have the opportunity to implement every great idea you come up with. For example, I would have loved to have been able to allow the user to walk through the actual building but we were not allowed to show the relative locations of the rooms for security reasons. Similarly, I would have loved to have used alpha channel video and an audio voice-over but we could have easily spent the budget on the shoot/talent/etc. alone.

This project was primarily meant to be an upgrade on the existing QuickTime tour that opened in a pop-up window, was tiny (dimension-wise, not bandwidth-wise) and had no interactive features beyond the basic panorama functionality. Thus, our first priority was to update and modernize the tour, adding basic interactive features that were not possible in the QuickTime version. Of course, opinion by its very nature is subjective and although you may see the tour as “dated”, it actually was a leap into the future compared to the existing one.

You also have to take into consideration that his was a government project. The public sector is usually slower to embrace the latest and the cutting edge than private industry. Getting them to use Flash on this project in and of itself was a great first step and will hopefully constitute a precedent to make it easier for other Flash developers to develop applications and experiences in the public sector in the future. This is how I see this particular project: a first step. This is the first time Flash has been used on the Prime Minister’s web site and it was introduced as a technology that could help them incrementally update an existing feature (the QuickTime tour) while adding features that enhanced the experience.

Finally, you have to realize that we are constantly fighting certain prejudices against the use of Flash. One of these is that Flash sites are gimmicky pieces of eye candy without substance. So the decision to make the tour as highly functional as possible and to keep the user interface as clean and unobtrusive as possible was not a random one. In any development project, it is of primary importance to identify the key problems you want to solve for your audience with your application and then concentrate on implementing the solution in an iterative manner, starting with the most important user tasks and layering both the development process and user interface accordingly; all the while focusing on simplicity. Complexity happens; simplicity, you have to strive for.

Finally, regarding Flash on the Beach, you can read some reviews by attendees for first-hand feedback.

Aside from the comments of it being slow, etc. and the fact there was a small budget (which i appreciate), I’m surprised at how simple and “dated” the solution is. It is screaming for more user interaction, slicker interface, and more engaging/immersive experiences. You’ve basically taken panarama shots, taken them into photoshop, highlighted special items with a ghastly white glow and brought them into a flash panorama video. The dropdown menu with related info works, but it’s just kindof boring and simple…

I’m just a tad dissapointed with the whole thing. I think much better can be done, even for under £10k.

I think we, as designers and developers, need to push the limits and break the mold – and a high profile project like this is a perfect opportunity. What you have done will likely be successful due to the exposure and the novelty of it, but in terms of an elegant, slick, smooth, and progressive flash piece, it falls way short in my opinion.

Anyway, just my .02. If i was paying good money to hear you speak and review your work at events like Flash on the Beach, I would expect better.

all the best.

Definitely, man — let’s talk. I’d love to have your input! :)

Bye,
David

here maybe still a bug

if you go into a room and click on an object, you get detailed information.
now, if you close the panel using the ‘X’, and then click on the ‘searchloop’ (you know, that thingie sherlock holmes used (can’t find the word i’m looking for:)) there will be still a “return symbol” on the last clicked object

hope you understand what i mean!

I vote against the bounce… seems gratuitious… doesn’t add anything and actually increases the delay before I can read the content. Having it move down is great because it informs us where the thing is coming from. Just no bounce needed.

Also, the initial instructions are only on during the pre-load. I can’t read that fast. Perhaps have a button appear “click to view the room now” with an option of “jump right into the room next time… don’t show again”

The rollover to make pieces glow is slightly delayed–probably not worth addressing.

Now.. here’s a huge one which is definitely questionalble: perhaps make the background move in the direction I’m dragging–not the opposite. Sort of like if you spacebar-drag Flash’s stage. Regardless I think it wouldn’t hurt to tweak the variables on the movement.

Kudos on the pano-slice. That sounds major. As an american, I’m not sure if the prime minister or queen or someone else lives there… who ever it is–did you get to say hi to them? Do you get to be knighted or anything cool like that? I’d be impressed!

cheers

MaTT