RWD is a terrific topic that merits strong discussion. A lot was written about it in 2012, and we anticipate this debate continuing well into the new year. Our article in Forbes magazine drew much commentary and even a follow-up article in which the writer argued the case for responsive design.

The fascinating thing about RWD is that there is no absolute answers. And Usablenet’s position on RWD is clear: we support RWD where needed. BUT we firmly believe in the importance of offering users unique experiences in every mobile channel, rather than adjusted experiences.  We also understand why platforms that are only capable of providing one technical direction such as RWD get frustrated when the overall market is not choosing that direction and decide to follow a mix of technology approaches based on common open web technologies.

At the start of the new year it is well worth reiterating our stance on RWD.

1. Usablenet platform supports RWD – we use this approach when appropriate, we are not against it. The fact is, sometimes it’s the right choice to deliver the User Experience for a given project or even for some parts of a project. However, sometimes RWD does not deliver the right solution given the goals of the experience, so a mixed approach is needed. The point is technology will not replace good design and UX principles. At Usablenet, our philosophy and goal is to use the broadest technology possible to deliver the best UX.

2. Context matters. Context on mobile is not just the fact someone is on a device with a smaller screen (which RWD primarily addresses).  It’s the combination of the device they use, when they are trying to use it, and what they are trying to achieve. At Usablenet we like to talk about the “2 minute rule”, a well established UX principle for mobile that says the user needs to achieve what they want to do in two minutes max. For example, the UX for an airline passenger on a mobile device who is rushing and trying to check in for a flight needs to have a fast, simple interface that is contextually aware to be successful. So, it stands to reason that providing the same experience as the web site but just reduced in screen size will not deliver the consumer the experience they want or need in the moment.

3. Committed to usability and accessibility: The concepts established by 3WC in 2008  of  ”one web” has been a guiding principle at Usablenet since our founding. However, we recognize that mobile brings its own significant UX principles and the imperative to design for different user behaviors, increased device capabilities, and services available to users on their device. This is why the mobile experience needs to be considered as different to the desktop experience.  Once that mobile user experience has been defined, then different technology approaches can be considered on how to achieve them. By starting with technology first, clients are in danger of removing or ignoring the user. There is a lot of discussion on “mobile first” design. At Usablenet, we believe in”user first” design.

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