Reviewer Notes: What we Look for in File Design
Friday, 22. May 2009, 07:12:12
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: A concept that is liked by one person may not be liked by another person. Due to the subjective nature of both aesthetic and conceptual design, Flashden employs certain quality standards that we expect files to achieve before we accept them into our library. This quality control mechanism not only differentiates FlashDen from other micro stock sites, but it also attempts to maintain a consistent quality of files that all our customers can rely on.
Why does design matter on FlashDen?
If your file does not meet our guidelines, there is a chance it won’t be accepted. But beyond that, good quality file design matters to you because it can be the difference between 0 sales and 20 sales. It can be the difference between 10 sales and 100 sales.
File design can also affect the price of your file. If your file is exactly the same as someone else’s as far as functionality is concerned, but your file is visually more appealing, it’s likely that your file will be priced slightly higher than your competitor’s file. More sales at a higher price based on the quality of your file is going to work in your favor.
You may have a killer concept and you may be a whiz with AS3, but if you do not present your file in the best possible way, you are only shooting yourself in the foot by reducing the opportunity to maximize sales of your file.
What makes a well-designed file?
There are several design factors that determine if your file will be accepted into the Flashden library. Such factors, in no particular order, include:
* Is it visually appealing?
* Is it fully functional?
* Is it usable?
* Is it something that would be useful to a large audience?
* Is it different than what we already have in the library? (i.e. not identical to an existing item)
* Does it do what it says it does (in your description and help files)?
* Does it infringe on copyright in any way?
What are some examples of poorly designed files?
The most common example that we typically reject at Flashden are uploads from brand-new, first-time users of Flash. Files with very basic motion tweens and poor design are much less likely to be accepted into our library.
If you are completely new to Adobe Flash and have only been using it a for a few days, then most likely it’s not worth your while uploading a file to Flashden at this moment in time. We do however encourage you to use and learn more about Flash and upload files when you feel you can equal or improve upon the standard of files (either visually or by functionality) you already see in our library. We are even lucky enough to have a thriving community in our forums who are both helpful and talented who would be glad to help you with any coding issues or advice on any concept or design-related questions you might have.
Another example of files that we sometimes have to reject are files that are not useful to our audience. Be very mindful of the fact that the typical Flashden audience consists of Web and design professionals and therefore, the vector graphic you just spent hours creating of a rock, a spoon, or something completely random, may not be worth your time uploading to Flashden.
When creating a file ask yourself the following questions:
* “Is this file useful to a large audience?”
* “Would I buy this file if I saw it?”
* “Is my file better than other files on Flashden?”
If you can answer “yes” to the above questions, then you are on your way to uploading a file that will not only get accepted, but has a chance of being successful as far as sales are concerned.
What can I do to improve the design of my file?
Got a great idea that you’ve conceived or even coded but are not quite sure if your design is up to scratch? Then there are several things you can do to ensure the quality of your file is not only good enough to get your file accepted into Flashden, but also maximize sale potential. These include:
* Try to keep your design simple! Effective design is often based on simple appearance and simple concepts. In turn, this makes a file a very usable product.
* A trap some novice Flash designers fall into is including too many bells and whistles in their file. Does your corporate template design really need animated text, audio, fireworks exploding in the background and 3D objects flying around all at the same time?! It’s a well known adage but there’s a lot of truth in “less is often more.”
* Collaborate with a designer you like. Perhaps you could code something for the designer in exchange for the designer helping you out.
* Make your file customizable, and make it easy to customize.
* Be inspired! Look around you and be inspired by everyday design you see in your life. Be inspired by what you see on the Web, including Flashden. But do not and never, ever infringe on copyright or steal or mimic anyone else’s Flashden files. That would result in a rejection either immediately or upon further investigation. Being inspired is about appreciating and learning, it is not about copying or stealing.
We hope these guidelines give you more of an idea of what Flashden looks for when we review your files. We will be publishing more tips soon!
FlashDen tips
Earn BIG sales? - To begin, register to FlashDen with these links:
http://flashden.net?ref=greentea
http://themeforest.net?ref=greentea
http://videohive.net?ref=greentea
http://audiojungle.net?ref=greentea
http://graphicriver.net?ref=greentea
http://www.flashcomponents.net/?ref=greentea
Why does design matter on FlashDen?
If your file does not meet our guidelines, there is a chance it won’t be accepted. But beyond that, good quality file design matters to you because it can be the difference between 0 sales and 20 sales. It can be the difference between 10 sales and 100 sales.
File design can also affect the price of your file. If your file is exactly the same as someone else’s as far as functionality is concerned, but your file is visually more appealing, it’s likely that your file will be priced slightly higher than your competitor’s file. More sales at a higher price based on the quality of your file is going to work in your favor.
You may have a killer concept and you may be a whiz with AS3, but if you do not present your file in the best possible way, you are only shooting yourself in the foot by reducing the opportunity to maximize sales of your file.
What makes a well-designed file?
There are several design factors that determine if your file will be accepted into the Flashden library. Such factors, in no particular order, include:
* Is it visually appealing?
* Is it fully functional?
* Is it usable?
* Is it something that would be useful to a large audience?
* Is it different than what we already have in the library? (i.e. not identical to an existing item)
* Does it do what it says it does (in your description and help files)?
* Does it infringe on copyright in any way?
What are some examples of poorly designed files?
The most common example that we typically reject at Flashden are uploads from brand-new, first-time users of Flash. Files with very basic motion tweens and poor design are much less likely to be accepted into our library.
If you are completely new to Adobe Flash and have only been using it a for a few days, then most likely it’s not worth your while uploading a file to Flashden at this moment in time. We do however encourage you to use and learn more about Flash and upload files when you feel you can equal or improve upon the standard of files (either visually or by functionality) you already see in our library. We are even lucky enough to have a thriving community in our forums who are both helpful and talented who would be glad to help you with any coding issues or advice on any concept or design-related questions you might have.
Another example of files that we sometimes have to reject are files that are not useful to our audience. Be very mindful of the fact that the typical Flashden audience consists of Web and design professionals and therefore, the vector graphic you just spent hours creating of a rock, a spoon, or something completely random, may not be worth your time uploading to Flashden.
When creating a file ask yourself the following questions:
* “Is this file useful to a large audience?”
* “Would I buy this file if I saw it?”
* “Is my file better than other files on Flashden?”
If you can answer “yes” to the above questions, then you are on your way to uploading a file that will not only get accepted, but has a chance of being successful as far as sales are concerned.
What can I do to improve the design of my file?
Got a great idea that you’ve conceived or even coded but are not quite sure if your design is up to scratch? Then there are several things you can do to ensure the quality of your file is not only good enough to get your file accepted into Flashden, but also maximize sale potential. These include:
* Try to keep your design simple! Effective design is often based on simple appearance and simple concepts. In turn, this makes a file a very usable product.
* A trap some novice Flash designers fall into is including too many bells and whistles in their file. Does your corporate template design really need animated text, audio, fireworks exploding in the background and 3D objects flying around all at the same time?! It’s a well known adage but there’s a lot of truth in “less is often more.”
* Collaborate with a designer you like. Perhaps you could code something for the designer in exchange for the designer helping you out.
* Make your file customizable, and make it easy to customize.
* Be inspired! Look around you and be inspired by everyday design you see in your life. Be inspired by what you see on the Web, including Flashden. But do not and never, ever infringe on copyright or steal or mimic anyone else’s Flashden files. That would result in a rejection either immediately or upon further investigation. Being inspired is about appreciating and learning, it is not about copying or stealing.
We hope these guidelines give you more of an idea of what Flashden looks for when we review your files. We will be publishing more tips soon!
FlashDen tips
Earn BIG sales? - To begin, register to FlashDen with these links:
http://flashden.net?ref=greentea
http://themeforest.net?ref=greentea
http://videohive.net?ref=greentea
http://audiojungle.net?ref=greentea
http://graphicriver.net?ref=greentea
http://www.flashcomponents.net/?ref=greentea
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