Flash, Java Applets, DHTML all add an extra dimension to a Web site if done with balance.

But they are not read completely by all Search Engines - as of yet!

Are you often torn between DESIGN and OPTIMIZATION - especially for the Home Page?
Example...
Having a FLASH into page was gaining popularity a few years ago - but with Google link popularity also gaining popularity - you see far fewer of them now.

Yes i certainly am. I LOVE flash and i am much better at flash than i am at html, however i am yet to make a flash based site due to pagerank ect.

I do get torn myself but I stick to a certain type of design so that I can incorporate as much SEO techniques as possible.

I do not. I typically allow the design to develop organically from customer requirements and my own vision. It is afterwards that I return to the project with a new mindset and undertake all the modifications to make the site SEO-friendly.

I stay away from Flash. I see it as a gimmik. I don't tend to design gimmiky sites...