Responsive Web

In 1989, Sir Tim Berners-Lee wrote a proposal for an elaborate information management system. The next year, with the help of Robert Cailiau, he published a more formal proposal for a web of hypertext documents that could be viewed on browsers using client/server architecture. He referred to it as the World Wide Web.

Fifteen years on, in 2004, web design was a burgeoning field and the hot topics were tableless layouts and cross-browser compatibility. Today, we are still struggling with cross-browser compatibility -- but now we also need to consider cross-device compatibility as well. With the introduction of smart phones and tablets, the web designer of today has to consider the devices used to access a site more than ever.

Young technologies are notoriously difficult to master. Early adopters are a hardy bunch, willing to go through the pain of learning new skill sets and struggling with immature and difficult interfaces. The web was no exception.

For a technology to gain acceptance, the rewards have to outweigh the struggle. Early adopters tend to be technology enthusiasts -- the dreamers and the visionaries. As a technology matures, however, the market for that technology changes. The later users are more conservative -- they need to see the technology prove its value. They demand convenience and ease of use.

The web is a maturing technology. The value of connectedness has been proven -- we are a wired society. The patterns of usage are changing. Currently, we are witnessing the mobile revolution. Smart phones are a burgeoning market. Increasingly, people are accessing the Internet via mobile devices.

Both the desktop computer and the mobile phone had real-world analog counterparts. The desktop computer was modeled on filing systems, and the mobile of course on the telephone. Tablet computers are a new class of machine that we didn't know we wanted -- but they fill a powerful need for a personal assistant that is mobile. The emergence of these Internet-enabled devices has greatly complicated the field of web design.