Thought we should post some notes here about responsive web design. The landscape of the web is shifting and shifting fast. We are possibly in the middle of one of the most significant revolutions in how we interact with the web and that change has been brought about by the arrival of the smart phone and the tablet.

Freeing us from our desktops & laptops the proliferation of iphones, androids and tablets mean we are browsing in a whole new way. And so web design must respond to this change. As always, the most respected and cutting edge names in design have already responded to the challenge. Ethan Marcott posted one of the first important articles on this topic over a year ago on the A List Apart site and since then responsive design has been creeping into our consciousness and drawing admiring intakes of breath when seamlessly executed.

And so more and more respected designers are making their own sites and client sites responsive to the range of screen sizes and viewing conditions from desktop to smartphone. Trent Walton’s thoughts on the topic are well worth reading. While you are there, check out how beautifully his site responds when you drag the screen in. For someone so passionate about typography and layout, things had to be right for him to feel happy. And he also tested it out while redesigning the Do Lectures website. Another convert is the talented Mr Simon Collison, who has switched his own site to responsive design.

We are at the start of a big change. Creases are to be ironed out and experiments will be made to how content is structured and laid out. But one thing is sure, responsive design is here and will soon be more apparent and prolific.

Useful related links:
Less Framework
Fit Text

Sites Responding Well
EdenSpiekermann
Mr Simon Collison
Do Lectures