Flash Tenth Anniversary

Rafiq Elmansy

http://www.beedesignstudio.com

Rafiq Elmansy has been a multimedia graphic designer since 2001 and a graphic and web designer since 1999. His background is in fine art and sculpture. He uses Flash to create graphics and animations for desktop applications, cartoons, games, websites, e-learning courses, and mobile and Pocket PC applications. He is a Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) and Macromedia Certified Flash MX Designer, and the founder of the first Macromedia User Group in Egypt. Rafiq also creates computer artworks (Bee Design Studio) and writes articles and reviews about graphic, animation, and Flash topics at his personal blogs, Macromedia Review and Bee Design Studio.

How and when did you get started with Flash?

In the early days of my career as a web designer, I realized that there are a lot that can be done using this magnificent tool; it really takes your career into a new trend. I started with Flash six years ago, when there were fewer tools and limited capabilities. Even then, Flash was fascinating web designers with its ability to create web animation and interactivity.

How has Flash contributed to your creativity, or taught you about design and the web?

As any creative idea needs a tool to help it to get out to the real world, Flash is a tool that enables me to free my ideas. The simplicity of Flash gives my head more space for creativity and improves my ideas, especially when I was learning how to animate. Designers need to put their idea in a final product using both coding and interactivity, and Flash gives designers a very easy tool to accomplish that.

The biggest Flash contribution to one’s creativity is the capability to output work to different platforms and projects. With Flash, I can get my ideas to the web, desktop, CD-ROMs, TV and video, and mobile and handheld devices.

Please share one or more favorite tips, lessons, or cautionary tales about Flash.

For designers, Flash is not as complex as Adobe® After Effects® or 3D programs. So, the best tip I learned from working with Flash is to practice. Practicing helps you get the most out of the program tools and implement these tools to get your ideas out to different kind of projects and platforms.