Responsive Web Design: From Cool Trend To Expectation

One of the biggest trends in web design for 2012 is Responsive Web Design. People everywhere in the web design community are talking about it at an obsessive rate, mainly because it isn’t yet widely used; but it will be, and when it is- we’ll all stop talking about it. It will be the norm.

Responsive web design is a specific website layout that changes depending on the visitor’s screen resolution. This means that whether you are using a laptop, desktop, smartphone, or tablet, you can see the website as it should be seen; not the usual, annoying, different view depending on your device.

Like every new web design layout, responsive web design has its pros and cons. Though it may be great to have a web page that has a chameleon effect about it, sometimes responsive web design can complicate your content.

Data table, for example, are often very wide. When a page is zoomed out or ‘shrunk’ to fit on a small screen, the information can be especially difficult to read. This isn’t a problem on devices where specific areas of the page can be zoomed in on, but to others (those without touch screens), it can make it so certain webpages are off limits for use on small devices.

Creating responsive web designs can be confusing, whether you are just beginning, or if you’re experienced. But since it is no longer in danger of becoming just another passing fad and has started to become common practice, it is important to figure out how to use it.

Get right into trying to design one. Play around with your settings on webpages that are already equipped with this design to see how it works. Depending on the size of the screen, the content will lose width and gain length, showing every image and word in its correct, originally designed placement.

Since smartphones with data plans and touchscreen tablets have become two of the most commonly used ways to surf the web, websites needed a new design strategy that could give every internet browser the same quality of site stumbling as they could get on a large screened desktop. The changing trends in internet browsing inspired Ethan Marcotte to create a change in the trend of web design by introducing the responsive web design format.

The majority of websites still have a fixed width. This gives companies with web designers who are interested in new trends a creative edge above other sites. It just so happens that responsive web design can give a site a leg-up in search engine optimization.

Mongoose metrics stated that only 9% of active websites are completely compatible with mobile devices. According to Compuware, 57% of mobile web users will not suggest a company with a website that is not compatible with mobile devices. They also state that 40% of users will visit a competitor’s site with good mobile capabilities, rather than one that has a mobile site of poor quality.

Equal web browsing for users of all types of devices is a necessity in the mobile browsing age. Responsive web design will give any website an advantage, as their users can reference the site anywhere, on any online friendly device.

Responsive web design may not be used by everyone yet, but it is definitely the next big trend in web design. It will become a common feature that will decide how frequently a website is visited, and whether or not your competition will receive more hits than you will depend on whether or not you use it.