转载自：闪客帝国－网页制作版
原发文者：dickdl

macromedia has launched an initiative to create more usable flash sites, the top 10 tips are given below:
macromedia公司致力于促进更有用的flash网站的创建，他们公布的10条提示如下：

1. Remember User Goals 记住用户的目的
Users typically come to a site with a goal in mind.
用户带着某种目的来到一个网站。
Each link and click should meet their expectations and lead them toward their goal.
每一个链接与点击都应该和他们预料中的一样把他们带到想去的地方。
When streaming your site, have key navigationlinks appear first, in case the user wants to get to another area in the site.
在访问量大的站点中，应该在醒目位置放一个主导航条，这样用户就可以去你的站点中他们想去的那部分了。
Emulating common GUI elements will increase usability.
仿效常见的图形用户界面可以增加可用性。

2. Remember Site Goals 记住站点的目标
Site design should reflect business or client needs, effectively communicating the main message and promoting the brand.
站点设计应该反映事业和用户的需要，有力地体现主广告词打响品牌。
Yet site goals are best achieved by respecting the user experience, so site structure should reflect user needs, quickly leading the user to their goal and avoiding company or regional jargon.
然而好的站点目标要考虑到用户的感受，所以站点结构应该能表现用户的需要，快速地把用户领到目的地，避免专业术语。

3. Avoid Unnecessary Intros 避免不必要的片头
While intro animations are exciting, they often delay the user's access to the information they seek.
虽然片头动画看起来很酷，但常常会耽误用户访问他们要找的信息的时间。
Always offer users either a Skip Intro command or alternative access to your home page.
始终在你的主页上为用户提供一个“跳过片头”按钮或是访问方式选择。
On their second visit to your home page, skip the intro animation altogether (use a client-side javascript cookie to accomplish this) then on the destination page give the option of returning to the animation.
当他们再次光顾你的主页时，不再显示片头动画（用javascript cookie来实现），然后在主页里放个“显示片头动画”按钮。

4. Provide Logical Navigation and Interactivity 提供合理的导航和交互
Keep the user oriented:
让用户始终被向导领着：
Refer them to their previous location and guide them to their next one, and remind them of where they've been by programming links to change color after being visited.
告诉他们先前所在的位置然后把他们领到下一个地方，设计访问后会改变颜色的链接来提醒他们曾去过哪儿。
Give them an easy exit from each major section of the site, and an easy return to their starting point.
让他们能从站点中的每个主要板块方便地退出，方便地回到他们出发的地方。
Clearly indicate each link's destination and keep navigation links visible, (rather than being hidden until the user has triggered an event).
清楚地指出每个链接的目的地，让导航链接显而易见，（宁可隐藏起来直到用户触发一个事件的时候才显示）。
Display primary site navigation first as Macromedia Flash streams.
以Macromedia Flash流的方式来优先显示主站点导航。
Make sure your buttons have well-defined hit areas and remember that the browser's Back button is not a substitute for clear navigation within your site.
确认你的按钮有个定义明确的点击范围，记住：浏览器的“返回”按钮不能很好地代替你站点里那个有条理的导航条。

5. Design for Consistency 一致性设计
Consistency in user interface is the best way to improve your site's performance.
用户界面里的一致性是改善你的站点性能的最好方法。
Reusing architecture elements, design elements, and naming conventions frees the user's attention for your message while they navigate to their goal, and it also aids site maintenance.
重复使用结构元件，设计元件，和命名惯例可使用户不再拘泥于一些细节的东西，而在他们一步步走向目的地的时候把注意力转移到你提供的信息上，而且这样做也有助于站点的维护。
You can use Smart Clips to reuse interactive elements throughout the site, and have words and images from initial navigation links reappear on destination pages.
你可以使用智能剪辑来重复使用交互式元件贯穿你的站点，让你的首页导航链接里的图文在目标页里再次出现。

6. Don't Overuse Animation 不要用过多的动画
Avoid unnecessary animations.
避免不必要的动画。
The best animations reinforce the site's goals, tell a story, or aid in navigation.
最好的动画应该能点明站点的目标，讲述一个故事，或是有助于导航。
Repeated animations on text-heavy pages distract the eye from the message of the page.
在有大段文字的页面上的重复的动画会转移用户的对页面信息的注意力。

7. Use Sound Sparingly 少用声音
Sound should enhance your site but not be indispensable.
声音可以点缀你的站点，但并不是必不可少的。
For example, use sound to indicate that the user has just triggered an event.
例如，用声音来表示用户刚刚触发了一个事件。
Always provide on, off, and volume control on screen, and remember that sound significantly increases file size.
始终在屏幕上放置“开”，“关”，音量控制按钮，值得注意的是声音会增大文件尺寸。
When you do use sound, Macromedia Flash will compress music into small MP3 files and even stream it.
当你确实要用声音的时候，flash会把它压缩成小的mp3格式甚至还可以流式读取。

8. Target Low-Bandwidth Users 瞄准窄带用户
The smaller the download, the better.
要下载的东西是越小越好。
The initial screen download should be no more than 40k, including all Macromedia Flash files, HTML, and images.
首屏要下载的不要大于40K，包括所有flash文件，HTML，和图片在内。
To reduce download time, use smaller vector-based images (unless the image is a complex bitmap, in which case it's better left as a bitmap file), and use the Load Movie action only when the user specifically requests a file.
要减少下载事件，就要用较小的矢量图片（除非那是个复杂的位图，在这种情况下用位图反而更好），而且只有在用户明确要求某个文件的情况下才用loading动画。
If a wait is unavoidable, provide a load time sequence with a progress indicator, and have navigation load in the first 5 seconds whenever possible.
如果等待不可避免，那么该放置一个有读取序列的读取进度条，而且只要有可能的话就该在5秒内读完导航条。

9. Design for Accessibility 亲近性设计
Make your content available to all users, including those with disabilities.
让你的内容对所有用户都可用，包括那些残疾人。
Highly descriptive Alternate Tags allow your content to be interpreted by assistive technology.
帮助系统中那些个描述透彻的提示标签能较好地让人们理解你的那些内容。
The magnifying Smart Clip for zoom is another easy-to-use Macromedia Flash feature that allows more users to see your content.
有放大功能的智能剪辑是另一个使用方便的flash特性，它使更多的用户看到你的内容。

10. Test for Usability 可用性测试
Have someone with fresh eyes test drive your site to make sure it accomplishes both user goals and site goals.
让某些目光敏锐的人来测试你的站点以确保用户目标和站点目标都实现了。
Even compact Macromedia Flash animations can delay users from reaching their goal, so use Macromedia Flash's built-in Bandwidth Profiler (located in the View menu in Test Movie mode)to analyze how well your site will perform over various bandwidths.
即便是简洁的flash动画也可能会耽误用户到达目的地的时间，所以用flash内建的带宽测试器（在View菜单里的Test Movie里面）来分析你的站点在不同的带宽下工作地怎样。
Re-test the site each time you make even small changes.
即使做了小小的修改也要重新测试你的站点。
Make sure your site testers match the demographic of your site's anticipated audiences' specially if the anticipated audience includes users at various levels of comfort with site navigation.
确定你站点的测试者们与你站点的预期访问者们相称，尤其是在预期访问者们对站点有不同层次要求的情况下。

源于: www.macromedia.com/software/flash/productinfo/usability/tips/

Read more on Macromedia's usability initiative here

www.macromedia.com/software/flash/productinfo/usability/