Andrew Maben wrote:
On Jun 1, 2007, at 12:07 PM, Felix Miata wrote:
Or, quit thinking like a print designer. Embrace the variability that
is a
browser viewport. Size relatively, which can work for 200x400 and all the
way up as high as high gets.
With respect, I think this is a rather over simplistic response, at
least if I'm correctly interpreting your intent.
You seem to be suggesting that a design or layout should be conceived as
a rectangle with arbitrary relative dimensions, and that those
dimensions should be preserved at all resolutions through relative
sizing? Sorry, but that sounds like print thinking to me, and in that
case how small is the text going to be at 200x400 if it's presentable at
800x600?
Wow, this discussion is incredibly reactive for such a group.
The proactive stance accepts and understands the web's craziness. It
accepts that currently the majority of the access comes through the
desktop/laptop computer.
However, the proactive stances also accepts that position is about to
undergo a 360 degree change, with the advent of mobile devices with
access to the internet. The iPhone will have a huge impact, not just
because it can access the internet, but because it can access the
internet with Safari, a HTML browser. And of course, the iPod have shown
us just how 'cool' Apple gadgets are, and how quickly they are adopted.
I think the base recommendation now is to ensure that your data is
marked up semantically. This way, no matter which stance you take, it's
probably not that hard to change.
From there, you need to decide how long this particular design is going
to last. If it is going to last less than 3 years, then your target
audience is probably the desktop/laptop (the reactive stance). After
three to five years, you're going to need to be reactive again, and
re-design the site, again.
However, many sites now aim for some long term consistency and stability
(eg. eBay, Amazon). In that case, you should research mobile devices as
they will play a huge role (the pro-active stance). [It's well known
that a pro-active stance, in any area, leads to better success than a
reactive. Reactive is usually about playing 'catch-up']
Yes, this includes the forever-joked about Internet fridge. All these
devices will have access. The question isn't so much about
discrimination against the users, because it will be them discriminating
against *you* because of your site that's not mobile-ready.
Do you want to cut yourself off from that market? How will you explain
that to your employer/client in a few years time?
Kat
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