Evaluation

I was really worried when initially starting this project as to how I would go about creating something interactive and whether or not it should be Illustration based. It has been really challenging but I am happy with what I have created. There are a few bits that need tweaking, for example some of the waiting time for the buoy to come in is a bit too long, theres one of the animations in the middle which has a slightly un-edited Sir Francis Drake where you can see where hes been roughly cut out and other little things like that.

I have learnt so much and I'm really happy to have actually completed something. I now feel quite confident in Flash and Flash Catalyst, as well as in Illustrator and Photoshop. Before starting this project I could use Illustrator and Photoshop but not very well, I think by having to learn two new programs so quickly, I got used to working with Illustrator and Photoshop and have learnt even more about them. I found using Flash quite difficult to begin with, even infuriating at times! But I think I have got to grips with it quite quickly and feel fairly confident on it to make a basic animation. I also feel more confident to look for help in the right places on the internet such as using Adobe TV and there are some great help links on the Adobe website itself.

I am pleased with my outcome, I think it's quite light hearted and fun, it's quite basic but I think that some of the basic animation adds to the 'cardboard cut out' feel I was trying to create. Drop shadows were also brilliant for creating this effect. There are quite a few things I would do if i had more time, from simple tweaks here and there to changing some of the speech Sir Francis Drake says. I would link each shop on the treasure map to their own websites and probably make the map a bit more detailed. I would also probably add more to look at in the animation with the whale such as some seagulls flying past, maybe change it from day to night and add some sound effects. But now I know the basics I feel as though these are all things I could quite easily do if I had more time.

I feel through doing this project I would be able to use these programs again and go on to create more animations and explore web design a bit more. I would like to learn a bit more about Flash Catalyst, I found it very easy to use so maybe I should explore what other possibilities it has to offer.

I think that in terms of the websites advertising, it keeps it fun but could probably be a bit more directed to promoting Drake Circus from the beginning. I think theres a possibility that users may get bored/ switch off before getting to the end point so featuring the Drake Circus name a little bit more would add to its purpose.

Over all I think I have worked hard, created something I never thought I would realistically be able to do, overcome a lot of Flash hurdles! and I have learnt so much along the way. I plan on using what I have learnt in future projects to create more animation/ interactive work.