[Sigia-l] Useful Splash Screens

[Leo Frishberg]

I had posted a message privately to Jodi regarding her original request, I'd
be interested to hear from her a summary of the suggestions posted privately
and publicly.  But I had to chime in here based on Andrew's last post...

> From: Gent, Andrew [mailto:Andrew.Gent at hp.com]
> Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 7:54 AM

> The term "splash screen" is borrowed from software development, where
> the splash screen is the thing that pops up when the 
> application starts,
> listing the application name, version number, etc. (I suspect they, in
> turn, borrowed the word "slash" from advertising where it is a bright,
> temporal, attention-getting device.)

The primary purpose of a splash screen in software applications is to
provide a diversion while the system initializes.  Databases, connections,
downloads, whatever time consuming process (>1 sec) that is required by the
software is somewhat mitigated by eye candy showing the toe tapping user
that at least some kind of progress is being made.

My understanding of Ziya's suggestion was that the client needs to better
articulate their purposes of the splash screen before Jodi goes off and
builds something based on assumptions.  IMHO if there is no mitigating
purpose (flash downloads, etc.) then it's simply ego, and that can be
assuaged through lots of mechanisms...


  Leo Frishberg
  Senior Information Architect

  W H I T E   H O R S E
  Portland, Oregon 
  503.471.4200 
  http://www.whitehorse.com