While every project is different, we see websites designed in Flash and then the question strikes: “Hm, couldn’t that be made using pure xhtml/css with a little javascript magic?” It happens to me a lot.

Mostly for getting ideas, i visit many websites everyday and whenever i see Flash, just for fun, i am trying to imagine the website built using web standards. Most of the times my answer is “Yes, it could have been done in xhtml, css if i leave out that strange sound playing and a couple of cute animations”.

Don’t get me wrong, some of my favorite websites are built in Flash. Sometimes it pays my bills as well. But i only want to see flash projects out there for a reason. And most of the times i fail to find that reason.

Here are my 5 reasons for following web standards if possible. My 5 reasons are 5 different websites built using xhtml/css and Javascript. I am pretty sure that under different circumstances and under different hands these projects would have the “zoom in, zoom out, show all” context menu on the right click. But they don’t.

Visit Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects

Visit Loewy Design

Visit sroown.com

Visit Simple.art

Visit Jan Sochor