I’m super-excited to get an early look the new Adobe Edge software, currently in public preview and is a complimenary download on Adobe Labs. Adobe Edge is a new motion and interactive design tool currently in production that renders content to HTM5, CSS3, and Java Script. With HTML5 as the newly approved web standard for your markup, Edge is a promising tool for us Flashers (NOTE: “Flashers” are Adobe flash users, not to be confused with other types of flashing).

Like Adobe Flash, designers will again be able to have an art-board and a timeline to produce stunning animation and dazzling effects to your website or interface. Thus, Edge will help provide the needed “bling” to add that needed element of professionalism and coolness that will separate you from your competition.  So go ahead, click the link below and check-it-out for yourself.  It will be interesting to see how this new tool evolves and will change the web.  HTML5, CSS3, and Java Script are a promising team and quickly emerging as the new industry standard.

“EDGE IS IDEAL FOR VISUAL, WEB AND INTERACTION DESIGNERS WHO WANT TO ENERGIZE THEIR CONTENT FOR THE WEB WITH MOVEMENT AND TRANSITIONS. EDGE PREVIEW ONE FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON ANIMATION AND MOTION, WITH UPCOMING PREVIEWS FEATURING ADDITIONAL CREATIVE CAPABILITIES AND FUNCTIONALITY.”

ACCORDING TO ADOBE THE SOFTWARE WILL DO THE FOLLOWING:

• Create new compositions with Edge’s drawing and text tools.
• Import popular web graphics such as SVG, PNG, JPG or GIF files.
• Easily choreograph animation with the timeline editor. Animate position, size, color, shape, rotation and more at the property level.
• Energize existing HTML files with motion, while preserving the integrity of CSS-based HTML layouts.
• Copy and paste transitions, invert them, and choose from over 25 built-in easing effects for added creativity.

The Favourite Website Awards (The FWA), is a popular industry recognised internet award program and inspirational portal, established in May of 2000. To promote The FWA, designers from around the world are commissioned to design unique and inspiring desktop wallpaper for your computer, available for download. While The FWA logo is a common denominator in each of these pieces, the various designers and artists share their design direction and voicing. All the designs are available for download in a myriad of sizes, appropriate for your particular monitor resolution, including iPhone & mobile.

We did a post presenting some of our personal favorites some-time ago. It was well received, being one of our most popular posts of all-time, so we compiled some of our favorite wallpapers again. We hope these curated wallpaper’s inspire you. Feel free to download them or click the link below to go directly to The FWA site. Be sure to leave a comment and tell us your favorite one!

The Adobe Flash and HTML5 debate continues to be the talk of the blogosphere, news headlines, web developers, and Steve Jobs alike. While much could and should be said about the issue on both sides of the isle, from open web standards and propriety, iPhones/iPads and touch interfaces, usability, browser compliancy, security, performance and of course aesthetics and utility, Adobe Flash and a little creativity can go a long way in creating a simply stunning and captivating web experience not realized in other technologies. While Javascript and other web technologies can do some remarkable things, many Flash websites are delectable and simply a work of art.

Adobe Flash and a little creativity can go a long way in creating a simply stunning and captivating web experience not realized in other technologies.

After hours and hours daily on the internet, over the course of the last few years, these are some of my personal favorite sites, hand-picked by me as both noteworthy and inspirational. These are sites that have stuck with me and my mind for years. Unfortunately, some of my additional longtime favorites are no longer with us. We give our condolences and mourn all of those amazing sites that endured many years of visitors gawking at their splendor. Whether their fate succumbed to the ongoing debate of Flash-nay-sayers, or simply time for a redesign, they will be missed; not just by myself, but many I presume. Strangely, after carefully selecting and deliberately rummaging through my bookmarks from the past few years, I realized that all of these favorite sites of mine have one thing in common, namely that they are realized using Adobe Flash. So no matter if you’re a “Flasher” or not, I simply invite you to take some time to sit back and relax, and peruse these fifteen beautiful sites which have inspired me throughout the years. They are definitely worth a click.

Amazonia
view site :: amazoniamoveis.com.br

City Center
view site :: citycenter.com

Concave Scream
view site :: concavescream.com

Floe
view site :: nationalgridfloe.com

Gucci Group
view site :: guccigroup.com

Hem Jeans
view site :: hemjeans.com

Idecorabili
view site :: idecorabili.com

Quat ‘Coul
view site :: quatcoul.com

Shsk’h
view site :: shskh.com

Stefano Bidini
view site :: stefanobidini.com

Waterlife
view site :: waterlife.nfb.ca

Wilier
view site :: cento1.it

*NOTE: Cover image courtesy of the idecorabili preloader (my favorite preloader of all time).

Endowed with the prestigious title of “Diplomat of the American Board of Endodontics,” Dr. Paul Anstey carefully cultivates his distinctive endodontic and implant specialty practice in Beverly Hills, California. This honor is afforded to only fifteen-percent of Endodontists in the United States. Dr. Anstey commissioned Kalos Interactive to design and develop a website which illustrates and personifies the particular ethos of their unique practice.

Sensitive to the needs of his patients, Dr. Anstey has created a peaceful environment, with a calming aesthetic appeal. According to Dr. Anstey, “The cornerstone of our practice is the surgical microscope. This tool is what sets the standard for excellence and it is the surgical microscope that enables us to achieve results never before seen in the field of endodontics,” which conveys his zeal and vigor regarding cutting-edge technological advances in his field, manifesting itself in the ability to treat previously untreatable conditions. In the initial planning of the project, words such as “spa-like”, “technology”, “medical”, “zen-like”, “clean”, and “subtle reflections of our office” were predominant and frequent expressions in our discussions. Thus, our undertaking is to provide a perfectly harmonious balance of these very expressions, representing the very essence of his practice, embodied in a website.

Synthesizing clean minimalistic typography, as illustrated in their logo and branding, against the rich color and texture revealed in the decor or their walls, furniture and dazzling South African Artifacts, strategically placed throughout their practice is the goal. From an art direction, we have two very distinct styles to to integrate into the site. Besides this particular juxtaposition, Dr. Anstey expressed intently that he wants to convey two aspects, which are namely the “spa & zen like environment they have to offer” and the “technological” aspects of his practice; two aspects you wouldn’t necessarily expect to go together. Thus, our objective is to realize an appropriate and creative design direction that fully utilizes the power of imagery, typography, color, texture and other design elements, given that these juxtaposed styles are seemingly opposed to one another.

On a more technical note, the site will have some very cool elements, including Papervision 3D Navigation, sensational imagery, sleek and functional JS/AJAX forms and more. The technologies & site architecture will provide a phenomenal user experience uniquely distinct from his field. Thus,we continually strive to achieve our objectives. One of Dr. Anstey’s most fond quotes by Edward Simmons is, “The difference between failure and success is doing a thing nearly right and doing a thing exactly right.” We will let you decide if we indeed attain our lofty goals of success, for the site is scheduled to launch late this Spring.

*below is a preview of the site imagery shot by Todd Langley.

This is a promotional website for Indie band Concave Scream’s latest instrumental album – Soundtrack For A Book. As you may know I absolutely love Adobe Flash and all the creative liberty it offers, not to mention I also have this curious fascination with 3D interfaces. This website utilizes both of these elements and takes them to avant-garde measures, rarely seen. The 3D visualization is dazzling and impressive. I could seriously be preoccupied with this visualizer for hours. The music is also equally impressive, for I love ambient music that flows and goes places, thus telling a story.  This is ironic, since the album is devoid of words, thus their musical experiment appears to be a success. I often utilize this site as a kind of creative catalyst while I work.  Props to the designers and developers at Kinetic Interactive!

view site : : concavescream.com

Elaborate and distinguished Photoshop work with mock-3D-panning style websites have been a long-time tradition here at Kalos Interactive Design.  Renowned local Photoshop genius Benny Yarnell and I have collaborated on a handful of these specific style sites to date and have become a prominent practice of ours, due to popular demand.  Painstakingly detailed imagery, appropriate for the particular brand & identity of the given company or concept, is carefully and methodically constructed to communicate a particular message.  Next, the final imagery is converted into a series of layers, which will differentiate from one another in size.  These layers are then intertwined with a time-line and Adobe Flash to simulate a 3D effect, given the different layers moving together at varying speeds.  The result is two-fold, namely to creatively tell a story via lavish imagery and serve as the navigation for the website.  While there is a valid concern with usability for interactive sites of this particular style, for they are simply not appropriate for all companies, concepts, or demographics, they are just plain cool.  There is a “wow factor” to these kind of sites and an emotional aspect to branding, which people absolutely love, and there is indeed something to be said for that!

When I stumbled across, The Scruffs Game site, I was immediately reminded of some of our sites, for it follows in the same tradition of mock-3D-panning style sites with exemplary Photoshop work.  I was simply amazed at the detail and adeptness illustrated in the site.  I am especially fond of the  day/night feature and the credits section.  I enjoy exploring and clicking on the various items in the given rooms (pages) of the site, for you never know what you’ll find.  Props to the designers/developers who created this project. It is well worth a visit.

view site : : scruffs-game.com