Created by Macromedia and now developed and distributed by Adobe, the Flash platform is the multimedia and interactive technology of choice for websites. Although Microsoft is trying to grab a share of that market with its SilverLight platform, Adobe’s Flash is the clear leader and is installed in most browsers.
So what does this have to do with digital signage? Well firstly, Flash is relatively easy was to create light-weight animations and files. Secondly, its a good way adding dynamic content. SWF’s (the Flash file format) can read from XML, text files & PHP so its an easy way to have your content change on the fly or based on events.
Since it was primarily designed for websites (although now Adobe’s Open Screen Project aims at getting the techonology in most consumer electronics) its a great tool for interactivity and creating kiosks. No need to have a special kiosk software, Flash authoring can help you create a media-rich interactive experience all on its own.
Lastly, since the technology is so ubiquitous, getting designers and programmers that work with the Flash Creative Suite is no sweat.
We’re going to be posting tutorials or links that will help you in your Flash design for digital signage. Here’s the list: