Responsive Design (the smart combination HTML5 & CSS) has been hailed as the best way for Web sites to provide a great user experience no matter the mobile device type. While this is very much true, the proliferation of mobile devices (Smartphones, Tablets, etc,) and the corresponding increase in screen/resolution dimensions necessitates more sophistication in Web programming, the result creates much larger file sizes for download to the user’s mobile device. A larger file size means longer download time and slower rendering on the device.
Web pages have become so large that the benefits of Responsive Design are beginning to lead to a negative user experience. In fact, last December, ExtremeTech reported research from the HTML Archive indicating the average Web page is approaching 1MB and growing by the day.
While this lower cost development approach may seem attractive at first, it is not without trade-ofs tahat need to be carefully evaluated. Read more about the challenges facing Responsive Design in Mobile Marketers article: Controversy brewing over responsive Web design.
