Jonathan Gay (born 1967) is an American software developer who created Flash (originally FutureSplash Animator), the technology that brought animation and interactivity to the web. His work defined online multimedia for over a decade.
FutureSplash Animator
In 1995, Gay founded FutureWave Software and created FutureSplash Animator, a vector-based animation tool. It was designed to create interactive content that could be delivered over slow dial-up connections.
Macromedia and Flash
Macromedia acquired FutureWave in 1996 and renamed the product Flash. Under Gay’s continued leadership as VP of Engineering, Flash became the dominant platform for:
- Web animation and motion graphics
- Interactive websites
- Online games
- Video streaming
Technical Innovations
Flash introduced key capabilities:
- Efficient vector graphics for low-bandwidth delivery
- ActionScript programming language
- Timeline-based animation
- Streaming video support
Post-Flash Career
After leaving Macromedia, Gay worked on:
- Educational software
- Mobile game development
- Technology consulting
Legacy
Though Flash was deprecated in 2020, its impact was enormous. It proved the web could support rich, interactive experiences and trained a generation of digital creators. Many Flash innovations now exist natively in HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript.