Studio Exploration - Metajive

Many of our class blogs to date have focused on flash tools or very interesting and "artful" applications of flash technology. I chose to present a small, design house that produces high quality commercial websites using only flash, javascript and PHP technology, in order to demonstrate the "practical" but still artful applications of the technology.

Metajive, based in Encinitas, CA, is a full service interactive design agency. All of their websites are developed entirely in Flash, using javascript to call Flash code into the webpage and also utilizing PHP for their sites. The proprietors (who are neighbors) have indeicated that it is very difficult to find AS3 and PHP programmers with the prerequisite experience.

Many of their clients are "action sports" brands and the use of flash and video is very effective for attracting a youthful audience. Their websites are generally visually rich and, especially for their action sports clients, the use of video supports the action sports experience.

To explore their work, visit the "Work" page of their website and visit the client links. I particularly like these websites.

The DC Shoes/King website just won an ADobe Site of the Day award. After the introductory video, visit the Dublin link, as an example, and take a look at the Source for the page and you'll find very little pure html, other than html code for the navigation bars. From a design perspective, I particularly like the "drama" and ceremony created by the dropping"cloak" and the swinging cloak behind the text continues the experience.

The Carrier Johnson website demonstrates a really interesting use of flash as an integral part of the navigation for the website. (Use the Firefox browser because I had some trouble viewing it with IE). Note the navigation of the page and especially how the use of flash movies creates an interesting visual navigation experience.