Flash

Living on the Edge.

For the last two days I’ve been going through training on Adobe’s Edge Animate. I’ve been using this tool for a while now, but the class is actually opening my eyes to the possibilities and limitations that this program has. As someone that has used Flash since it was still called Future Splash, Edge in many ways feels like stepping back in time to 1998. This is no fault of Adobe, this is the reality of working with the limitations of CSS, HTML, and JS. It’s also the reality of using software that is in version 1.5. With that said, here are some things I’d love to see Adobe add in version 2.0

import a JPEG, PNG, or GIF sequence as an Edge Symbol
Video Support
Audio Support
Motion Guides
A pen tool for masking/clipping

Adobe I hope your listening.

“Man” a Flash and After Effects Animation by Steve Cutts.

Here is a little animation from Steve Cutts created with Adobe Flash and After Effects. Yes I said Flash, the application long rumored to be dead or dying. The application that Apple loves to hate, yet produces some pretty outstanding work. This little animated short is a humorous look at man’s relationship to our planet and the other creatures that inhabit it. Enjoy.

The Art of Packing, by Louis Vuitton.

I pride myself on the ability to pack a suitcase for a trip in the most space efficient way. I also pride myself on the ability to pack the minimum amount of items needed for a trip. Case in point, when I went to South Africa for 14 days, I packed a small duffel bag for the trip. Seriously, I put 14 days worth of stuff into what was basically a gym bag.

This morning when I was going through RSS feeds, emails, and other sources of information, I came across a link to the Louis Vuitton micro site “The Art of Packing“. While I will probably never own a Louis Vuitton suitcase, the site was worth a visit.

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This Flash based interactive site showcases 3 of Louis Vuitton’s luxury suitcases, Alzer, Pégase and Keepall. (please note that none of these bags are large. If you are the kind of person that packs your entire closet for a weekend trip, you can move on.) The micro site shows potential customers how to pack in the most efficient way allowing you to get the most out of the space, with a less wrinkly results. In addition to space saving tips, the site actually shows you how to pack your clothes in the best way. Yes there is an art to it.

Time To Bend Your Noodle and Fight Hunger in America.

CP+B have created a desktop and iPad experience for KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese designed to stop food waste, promote creativity, and help stop hunger in America. The application was built using flash and cross compiled to work on iOS. (I’m kind of surprised hey don’t have an Android version of this available as well since the desktop app was developed using Adobe Flash.)

KRAFT’s ‘Dinner Not Art‘ application donates 10 noodles to Feeding America for every virtual noodle saved in the macaroni art that you create. While this number seems small, think about the number of pieces used on average by a kid when making a macaroni masterpiece. It ads up fast. The application is easy to use and a little addictive. So long term, this could create a large payout for Feeding America if the application takes off.

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The application features a fun easy to use interface that is intuitive for younger children, and actually rather fun for adults. The bright colorful UI reflects the KRAFT Mac and Cheese box and branding colors, but does it in a way that never feels like Kraft is promoting their product. It’s this subtle balance that really wins here. Throughout the experience the participant is shown a counter that increases with each noodle added. (The feel good factor). At the same time the KRAFT brand is represented in an unobtrusive way, and subtly promotes the product. At the end of the experience you have the option of saving and sharing your creations. (another feel good factor).