Andrew Powell

In the late 1990s, Macromedia introduced us to a term that would soon become ubiquitous with the next generation of web-based applications: Rich Internet Applications, or as we know them RIAs. At some point in the latter part of this decade, say early 2008, with the emergence of the ability to use previously web based technology to deliver desktop applications (Adobe AIR, Microsoft WPF, etc.), some people declared RIA as dead. While I disagree with that assertion, I do think that the term RIA has become a bit passé, if not overexposed.

Personally, I believe that a RIA is any application, web-based or desktop, that utilizes the resources of the Internet, to enhance the user's experience and delivers that experience in a way not commonly found in traditional desktop applications. This means that RIAs, in my opinion, are not only about the application, but the experience too. In turn, this also means that the marriage of the technology and experience of the application, not just the technology is what is going to differentiate these new applications.

As we move, ever rapidly, towards the merging of desktop and web I think it serves us to take a look at the term RIA and re-think it. The Internet is now everywhere. RIAs, as we know them, exist on the desktop, on your BlackBerry, on your iPhone, in your browser, on the television, and even in the car. With this Internet ubiquity, I want to create applications that are not just focused on the Internet aspect of the application. That's a given, a commodity. I want to focus on creating compelling, immersive, and connecting experiences that make users want to come back for more. I want experiences that users accept as part of their lives, experiences that are woven into their daily lives, but are done so unobtrusively and become people's LoveMarks.

Focusing on creating applications is too shortsighted. I want to focus on creating the experiences that will, driven by technology, make people want to have these experiences and share them with others. Twitter and Facebook did not succeed because the technology was great. No, they succeeded because they created a way for people to interact with each other and share their experiences in an unobtrusive, easy to use way. Gaining user acceptance, user loyalty, and user love are what we should be aiming for with our experiences. Create that, and I assure you, you will have created something that is far beyond an RIA.