Flash is a powerful tool that, if used correctly, gives you highly interactive and immersive experiences. There are a lot of sites out there that implement Flash poorly, which, in turn, can give Flash (and those who develop with it) a bad rep. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying that Flash has no faults/shortcomings, because it does. What I’m saying is that in order to provide the best experience for your audience, you’ve got to keep some things in mind before and during your Flash development.

Before you consider Flash as an option for your project, understand your specific wants and needs. Once you have those established, weigh them against the common issues/drawbacks of Flash. Some of these issues can include:

•    File Size
•    CPU Usage
•    System Memory
•    Bandwidth Allocation
•    Usability
•    Accessibility
•    Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

All of these issues can be addressed in Flash. As a Flash developer, you have to address these issues in a responsible way. For instance, file size can be addressed through proper image optimization, knowing when to use vector graphics vs. bitmap graphics (and vice-versa), and limiting the usage of multiple embedded font styles. CPU usage and system memory can be improved by clean coding practices and limiting gratuitous amounts of effects/animations. Usability, accessibility and SEO issues can be addressed with third-party code libraries such as Cannonball and SWFAddress.

In the end, a Flash application can be built in thousands of different ways, resulting in thousands of different outcomes. Most of the Flash projects that are successful have found elegant solutions to these common issues.

We’ll delve deeper into the issues affecting responsible Flash development in future Insight articles. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, what are you doing to ensure the success of your Flash applications?