A Flash interface that doesn't suck

cbeau.ca or "Retouche Photos Retouching" is a neat little online gallery showing what can be accomplished with photo retouching of models and other photos like that. What's interesting about the gallery is that the interface is great. It's done in Flash and I'm often disappointed and very rarely amazed by Flash interfaces. I still love Flash games as a user interaction medium and the Flash video players have worked a zillion times better than Quicktime, Windows media or Real player.

Most Flash interfaces are just annoying. Thinks flash, blink and move away from your attention. Nothing ever looks the same so you never learn how to use the interface. Also, a lot of Flash interfaces are slow to load and once loaded you rarely get content but just decorative fluff that you don't really need.

This is an exception though. They even clearly mark out which photos you've clicked on. (I guess they've read and taken in Jacob Nielsens books). The interface is fast and obvious and there is very little else of distractions from what you're there to see.

To all Flash developers out there: Keep up the good work! Don't use Flash when HTML is better even if it's less fun to develop. Look at sites like this for inspiration.