Responsive Web Design, Mobile First, and the Future of Content Consumption - Lindsey Kirkbride

Lindsay Kirkbride

The number of people perusing the web on mobile devices is growing at an incredible rate. Ericsson, the mobile handset company, reported that from the second quarter of 2010 to the second quarter of 2011 mobile traffic more than doubled. The number of users in the US alone who use the internet via a mobile device grew 19% over the past year (via Gigaom). The Times of India recently reported that the number of mobile phones in the United Kingdom is now greater than the number of people there; not only that, but 27% of the adult population in Britain now uses a smartphone.

Kirkbride goes on to make a case for ‘responsive web design’ — meaning basically what others call ‘fluid web design’ — so that mobile devices can have a first class experience in browsers.

The real future, though, is apps: the browser will soon be like using Terminal on Mac OS X. You’ll only do that when no app exists for waht you want.

Interesting thoughts. I still think the mobile web will be more then just the terminal in an app world. What do you guys think?