Responsive Web
Recently I wrote a blog and an article about the difference between mobile apps and mobile sites. (Be sure to check out my article in the NTC’s Catalyst Magazine from January 25th). I knew as soon as I wrote about the topic, a new technology would come swooping down and steal the show. That technology, my friends, is the Responsive Web. If you haven’t heard of it, you better start learning – it will pretty much blow your mind.
So what’s all the fuss about? Each month, statistics pour in that reveal a heavy increase of mobile users over traditional desktop web platforms. In response to this, designers and developers have begun to focus on building websites and applications that work appropriately on all sorts of screens, regardless on the device type. The official definition: Responsive Web design is a way of organizing page layout and information to ensure that a web page responds to the device in which it’s viewed. While the same content is being displayed regardless of the device, the content is set to display differently depending on the device’s screen size.
Have you ever gone to a website from Safari on your phone (I’m an Apple fan girl, obviously) and were disappointed at all the pinching and squeezing required just to get a phone number? Or an address? Responsive Web will alleviate that pain by displaying the same content you would see on your laptop, just in a better and easier to read format. Still not convinced? Check out some of these examples: www.knowshelter.com, www.morehazards.com and www.forefathersgroup.com