About a year ago, Mashable released an article titled Why 2013 is the Year of Responsive Web Design. It highlighted the trend as 2013’s up-and-comer in a “Post-PC Era,” and rightfully so. The responsive design craze has been increasing steadily in both popularity and implementation over the year, which can be verified by checking out some of the top websites and dragging that bottom right corner wherever you see fit.
However, while it’s apparent responsive design is growing in popularity within the industry, it’s also encountered it’s own share of criticisms.
Responsive design is the practice of creating a site that can adjust itself based on the screen size being utilized to access the site. Using flexible “media queries” (CSS3 modules that render content based on conditions like page size, orientation, or screen resolution), the designer is able to format blocks (if you will) that change format and size as the overall window is decreased or increased. Here's a great example: SquareSpace
There are many benefits to developing a website using this tactic. It’s true, responsive design helps build a seamless experience for your users—wherever they choose to access you from whichever device they choose. It simplifies many user-processes and allows increased search engine optimization though it doesn’t allow. BUT, keep in mind how much effort goes into creating a responsive design.
In today’s tech world, devices with separate screen sizes are becoming all too common. We’re in an age of rapid tech adoption, which is difficult for designers to keep up with. With so many different options, redesigning for each is a tedious endeavor. For design-perfectionists, this is a special kind of hell reserved for America Online and RealPlayer. Frankly, we’re getting to a point where we can’t keep up with the endless array of new products… but it doesn’t mean you should lose customers due to how they’re accessing your site.
There’s a debate swirling in the dark, scary, underbelly of the what we refer to as “the Internet,” and it’s questioning the potential of responsive design. As with anything, you have to take the good with the bad—but what exactly are people citing as negatives?
- Slow Sites- since a responsive design utilizes the same site across all channels, there’s the fear that it will slow down your site’s speed.
- Development- the development time of responsive designs is significantly longer than static designs, as the need for fixes and general UI work increases.
- SEO- your side of the fence in this regard probably correlates to your industry. Some look at responsive SEO and see increased conversions funneling into one, concise platform. Others are upset that they lose mobile-only analytics. Only time will tell.
Most negative reactions to responsive design revolve around personal preference, or the increased development time—which isn’t something to overlook. A responsive design will cost you more time and money, as the payoffs come later rather than sooner. The advantages?
- One Website to Rule Them All- your site can be managed as a single platform, erasing the need for multiple manipulations.
- Streamlined Effectiveness- everything on the site is optimized as it should be. No more showing up on mobile-sites while you’re on your desktop.
- Optimization- Your site, regardless of how the visitor accesses it, is optimized for their viewing pleasure. This improves the user experience, which often leads to increased sales and engagement.
In the end, responsive design really comes down to personal preference. Not every site needs a responsive design, but the ones that do are promoting a single, shared experience which can help improve both their productivity and value. Apple fans and Samsung fans will just have to deal with the fact that they’re seeing the same content. We know, it’s difficult.
