Web design has changed a lot over the last couple of years – just a short time ago; it was still all of the “bubbles and betas” of the web 2.0 craze. Now, we’ve gone through a minimalism trend when it comes to design on websites. And this year, the biggest thing is going to be a responsive design. It already is, for that matter…everybody’s doing it.
What Is Responsive Web Design?
Simply put, responsive web design uses design and programming techniques that automatically scale and shift the elements on a web page to perfectly fit the specific size of the device’s screen it is being used on. And in an era where it’s not uncommon for folks to use a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet, and a mobile device throughout the same hour, the responsive design aims to keep all of these viewers happy when they hit your website.
What Are The Benefits Of Responsive Web Design?
First and foremost, the newly popular design technique helps present your content in a clear and very legible way to all possible viewers. Previously, the thought was to design for the largest segment of viewers and hope that the rest could manage to view your site well enough on their device to get by. But today, there is no “least common denominator” when it comes to what devices people use – they use them all – and responsive design accommodates perfectly.
While responsive web design doesn’t replace the device or platform-specific apps completely, it eliminates the need for the way most people have used apps in the past to display existing content on a specific device. The responsive design saves significant money and headaches by allowing all content to be created and published via one platform – the website – and enabling this to accommodate the most significant possible percentage of visitors.
What Are The Drawbacks Of Responsive Design?
Well, it depends on how you look at the situation. One drawback would be that a design will appear differently depending on the viewer. This is a solution as well, but for some, it takes away a little bit of guaranteed control when it comes to the same design elements. Using the technique also slightly limits the availability of some popular web elements, but as responsive web design becomes more and more popular, designers are overcoming this hurdle rapidly.
Expect to see more and more responsive designs this year. I won’t be surprised if this becomes the baseline standard for design within the next 5 years. It just makes sense.
