Until Dynamic HyperText Markup Language (DHTML) came along, HTML was the backbone of the of the web designer's arsenal of design tools.

HTML did a wonderful job of creating "FLAT", rather lifeless pages of text similar to print media; magazines, texts, newspapers...

As the Web's popularity grew and viewers became more discerning... designers had to create new and compelling methods for drawing visitors to their web sites.

The Internet has become it's own medium and is no longer measured or restrained by the standards of traditional print media. The web is not flat or lifeless. It is full of life and has the potential to be functionally interesting.

Some of the most powerful tools available to designers enabling then to create dynamic web pages include JavaScript, DHTML and Macromedia Flash .