Flash is not a dirty word …
I must say the way Flash has been treated in the design world lately makes it seem like a bit of an “f-bomb”. People have shunned it and treated it like it really has no purpose anymore other than to shock. Designers everywhere are jumping on the no-flash bandwagon.
A time and a place …
While we here at JVM were always of the mindset that Flash should only be used with purpose (and not just as something shiny and moving), we haven’t quite been converted to the line of thought that it has NO purpose anymore.
Video
For instance, let’s take a look at video. Flash video is still alive and well on the web. Even Youtube uses the technology. As HTML5 is rolled out, Flash video may indeed become more scarce, but for certain applications, such as utilizing video footage in a Flash animated, interactive interface, it might stick around.
Entertainment
Go to just about any website for a feature film now and you can still see a lot of Flash in action. Using the media in this way I feel is perfectly valid. The entertainment industry is all about flashiness, after all.
Flash is also still used a lot in online games and there is still a definite market for those.
Interactivity
Last year we used Flash to build a custom interface where a customer could “build” their gas fireplace to get an idea of the available options. We also created a complicated interactive map for another project. When a client wants that higher-end appearance and the type of animation and interactivity that Flash can offer and they know it will be useful for their target market, then there’s no reason not to use it.
The future …
Flash may very well be phased out at some point in the future in lieu of better technology or software, but for the moment it still has some useful applications.
About the author
Sherry is the Creative Director at JVM Design. Choosing design as a profession was easy with a heavy background in creative pursuits and an art degree, but Sherry's also been a writer for many years and has had works published in print as well as online. Besides art and design, Sherry also likes comic books, owls, kitsch, muscle cars, sci-fi, archaeology, photography, natural health and many other fun things.
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