With the announcement today from Adobe on no longer having plans to develop future versions of its Flash Player for mobile browsers, I wanted to share my thoughts on this subject. First, I feel that it is important to disclaim my relationship with Flash from the start. As a college professor and web developer over the last 10 years, I’ve been lucky not only to create some incredible projects using Flash, but I’ve also made a good living teaching it. I’ve also written two books on it, too. So, I do have an investment with Flash.

What does a lack of Flash on mobile devices mean?
I can only assume from reading the many posts from readers of this news topic across a number of different sites that they believe that Flash is dead. It is only the Flash Player that is dead on mobile devices because Adobe is “instead focusing on alternative application packaging programs and the HTML5 protocol.” For those that have been working with Flash the past few years, this isn’t anything new. In October of 2010, Adobe provided a sneak peak into showing how Flash will be able to export to HTML5, and recently it was demoed at Adobe MAX and during the all-day analyst in today’s meeting as well.

Since HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript is more stable on mobile browsers, it is easy to see how Adobe is making adjustments to keep up with today’s standards. Adobe already has been beta testing Adobe Edge, a program very similar to Flash Professional in giving developers a new web animation and interaction design tool that is very similar to Flash and already works with today’s web standards like HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS3.

Here is an animation I build in Adobe Edge:

Here is an advanced interactive project using button interactivity and variables, in the exact same way that I teach using Flash, in Adobe Edge:

These projects ‘look’ like Flash, right? Yup! But they aren’t So, if we can create HTML5 projects that looks like Flash, then Flash will need to evolve. If you are interested in seeing all the new features of Flash Player 11, check out Joseph Labrecque’s upcoming book What’s New in Flash Player 11.

The key here is that if Flash is gone tomorrow altogether, I’m not worried. One thing that I’ve always taught my students is that good design transcends software. So, if you have put the time and energy into learning Adobe Flash, the knowledge you have to create animations on the timeline will be easily applied to Adobe Edge or any other timeline based animation program. Hopefully, Flash CS6 supports the Export to HTML options and we’ll continue to be able to create engaging web projects using Flash. And for all of you that have learned software development through ActionScript, not only did you learn a strong foundation working with code logic, but it also applies towards Adobe AIR development. As stated on Adobe.com, “The Adobe® AIR® runtime enables developers to deploy standalone applications built with HTML, JavaScript, ActionScript®, Flex, Adobe Flash® Professional, and Adobe Flash Builder® across platforms and devices — including Android™, BlackBerry®, iOS devices, personal computers, and televisions.” Check out the video comparing Adobe AIR and Flash Player here and you’ll see that you’ll be able to apply your existing web site, like Flash or HTML, and create new ways to deliver content across multiple screens.

My first development program creating animation and interactivity was using Macromedia’s Director. Director died out as Flash grew in popularity, from both developers and users. And it is interesting that the Director Shockwave Play is still prominently displayed today on Adobe.com. As you can see, it takes a long, long time for a platform to “die”. 10+ years later, we are in another flux with the software we use with the Internet. But I don’t think that Adobe’s software program, Flash, is dead. It is changing. With the future of Flash supporting 3D in Flash officially called Stage3D, Flash may be aimed towards gaming. But the application of animation and advanced interactivity will continue to be available to us designers in a number of ways to continuing creating great projects, just a little differently then we have been doing it for the last few years. The time has come that we don’t need to rely on the Flash Player anymore to create strong web sites for any screen and that advanced motion and interactivity will still be available, just packaged differently!

What are you thoughts on this?
Please feel free to share!

Additional Articles:
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Mobile Flash Player: RIP