The Flash^R based website that we will create during this series can be used as an online portfolio or catalog for a professional artist or crafter. Besides a copy of Flash MX 2004, you will also need a few other things.

Mockup of the Website

The finished website will be 550 pixels wide by 450 pixels high. It might be helpful if you create a mockup of the website similar to the two below. I used Photoshop^R to experiment with the placement of text and images for the two major webpages; the homepage and a content page.


Homepage Mockup


Content Page Mockup

Images

You can import images of different formats into Flash but during this project we will be using images in the PNG format in order to retain the transparent areas in the images. Below is a list of the images and suggested sizes.

1. If you are planning to have a background image behind the top or side navigation menu, you will need an image that is 550 pixels wide and 100 pixels high (or 450 pixels high and 100 pixels wide for a side menu). We will be placing button links on top of this image.
2. You will want your company logo on the homepage of your website. This image should be approximately 200 x 200 pixels.
3. You will also need to have a secondary image for the homepage. This can be the front cover of the print version of your products catalog or a seasonal featured product. This second image should be 150 x 150 pixels.
4. You will need a few images of your best products or artwork for the online catalog or portfolio. These images should be 300 x 300 pixels.

Color Scheme

You will need to decide on a color scheme before we begin to build your website. You should have a background color and one or two accent colors that we will use for text colors.

Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Workspace

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