Hot on the heels of our own recent post on the future of HTML5, search giant Google has announced a new tool capable of building HTML5 sites and advertisements. The tool is available as a beta download with it aimed at advertisers who want to create dynamic ads quickly that can maximise the potential of cross-platform and cross-screen experience.

The announcement comes with a very interesting infographic style document explaining some of the reasons HTML5 has been slow to be taken up, whilst the tool includes a full 3D authoring environment and the ability to switch between design and code view. The aim is to allow users to focus on design while the web designer tool takes care of the HTML5 and any CSS3 to make your magic happen.

It’s too early to say with just a beta launch but. Google Web Designer could just be the tool that the online world has been waiting for and with its animation tools and simple interface it may just be the final nail in the coffin for Flash.

The tool is likely to evolve quickly over time too with already a growing community springing up via the Google Groups Forum: Google Web Designer Beta, plus a help section provided by Google which includes a range of YouTube videos and  a Google+ page that is sure to be a hub of information if not just a place to view the magic that some have created using the web designer tool.

Having another Google bookmark might not appeal to everybody, but the free nature and ability to perhaps learn and understand a new area of web design that designers may never have been brave enough to experiment with, should see this one grow and grow and probably will be the catalyst that makes HTML5 the adopted system on the web.