Flash Article

Flash: Ten years, ten perspectives

Grant Skinner

Years of Flash experience: 10 (6 professionally)

How did you get started in Flash?

I toyed with FutureSplash and, later, Flash as animation tools for a couple years without too much interest. When Flash 3 was released, however, it was a revelation. It combined three things that I loved—coding (well, sort of), design, and the Internet—in one very cool package. I initially never even imagined that anyone would actually pay me to do something that was this much fun.

I started playing with Flash in my own time, building out games, fake websites, and visual experiments. This honed my coding skills, built my understanding of the technology, and eventually gained recognition for me in the industry. There's nothing sweeter than becoming successful through playing.

How have you used Flash in the past and how do you use it today?

My early work with Flash focused purely on my own enjoyment of the technology. As such, I built games, experiments, and personal sites—most of which were never seen by anyone, except perhaps a patient girlfriend, parent, or sibling.

As I started working with Flash professionally, I gained a keen interest in the possibilities of building Internet-deployed applications ("RIA" wasn't a term then). After some experimentation, I rolled out a few test cases and was fortunate enough to pick up a number of awards for them.

Now I enjoy the freedom to work in a variety of spaces. I architect and code applications, games, and rich experiences for my company's clients, but I also still do a lot of experimental work, like incomplet.org, for my own enjoyment.

What does Flash mean to you personally?

Personally, Flash has given me a chance to travel, hang out with awesome people from the coolest technology community I have ever encountered, and generally spend way too much time in front of a computer, neglecting the people I love. (*grin*)

What does Flash mean to you professionally?

Flash represents freedom to enjoy my job. Flash has given me the opportunity to maintain a strong professional focus without needing to have a narrow mental focus. I get to learn so many things and exercise so many parts of my brain in my job that I never get bored.

I love the fact that work I do purely for the fun of it can often lead to exciting commercial opportunities!

What has Flash taught you about software development and the web?

Bigger doesn't always mean better. Flash Player is so small and it does so much. I always keep that in mind when I build content. Keep it small, but make it awesome.

Which feature(s) of Flash amazed you the most, and why?

Wow, I don't know; every version has had its kickers. If pressed, I'd have to say that the bitmap features in Flash 8 would have to be the coolest thing added to Flash since variables were added in Flash 4. They open up so many possibilities to make dynamic content look gorgeous, and they are a ton of fun to play with programmatically.

How has Flash enhanced your creativity?

Flash has allowed me to be creative as a coder. I enjoy graphic/motion design even though I don't have formal training in it. Flash lets me apply creative code to get creative design results.

While it takes creativity to code a back end for a financial company, the results are, well, dull to say the least. When I build something with Flash, it can be highly functional but I can show it to your average Joe and he'll think it's cool too!

What's your favorite Flash tip or lesson?

Learn object-oriented programming, even if you're a casual coder. Flash makes so much more sense once you "get" it, and it saves you a ton of time in the long run.

What cautionary tale can you relate to other developers?

Don't hold back, and don't be shy. Build what you love and share it with the world! I built cool stuff for an audience of one for years before I got the courage to show it off. When I finally did, I realized that other people liked my work too. The Flash community can only benefit from more people actively participating.

Where will Flash be 10 years?

Everywhere?

Seriously, Flash is spreading from the Internet onto the desktop (Apollo) and into phones, embedded systems, and appliances. There's just so much opportunity for this technology. The same consumer force that is driving build-to-order running shoes and designer vacuum cleaners is driving the market for rich, personalized software experiences—and Flash is the best technology to deliver them.

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