Volume 14, No 2, 2017
The Role of Responsive Design in Web Development
Fernando Almeida and José Monteiro
Abstract
Responsive design allows software developers to build a Web page that can dynamically adapt to the size of the devices. This development philosophy enables the rendering of Web pages in a fast and optimized way, ensuring a good us er experience on mobile devices, tablet and desktop. In the scope of this study, we intend to explore the main advantages and limitations associated with responsive Web design. We adopted a quantitative approach based on a questionnaire filled by 181 profe ssionals in the industry that allowed us to identify the reasons that lead software developers to the adoption of the responsive design and also address the limitations felt by them. The results obtained indicate that offering a good user experience and in creasing accessibility stands out as being the most important advantages. On the other hand, the main limitations include the compatibility with older Web browsers, the higher loading time and the difficulties in optimizing user experience. Finally, it was found that the perception of the advantages and limitations of responsive design is distinct for professionals with more professional experience in the field and for freelancer developers.
Pages: 48-65
Keywords: Web d evelopment Responsive d esign ; Web designing ; User experience