Adobe.com buttons component
The old proverb is to be a master you must learn from the masters. So, lets go to flex sources and look into brand new application from adobe called Adobe.com. Acrobat.com is a set of online services (file sharing and storage, PDF converter, online word processor, and web conferencing). You can use to create and share documents, communicate in real time, and simplify working with others.
Despite of many interesting features which you can use it is a prefect demonstration of Flex possibilities and the best guidance how to create modern user interface. Flex developers from Adobe have decided that the best idea how to design front page in this application is build shiny, gradient buttons which react on mouse move. This way they encourage user to fast and easy select application feature. The whole concept is not new, it was well known from early beginning of computer science. After several years of building applications with complicated user menu (eg. SAP ERP client) now we can see major drawback to old school (eg. plaxo.com).
I was totally impressed by graphical menu build in Adobe.com application. For my solution I have used graphical library written by Arnaud Foucal. He wrote excellent GradientCanvas library and decided to publish whole code. Many thanks for that, Arnaud. With this library and flex you can build your own components just like in Adobe.com application in the minutes.
See my like Adobe.com button components below. Right click to see the sources.