I’ve recently noticed something odd in my behavior (no surprise there really). That even though I regularly use relatively large computer screens, ranging from 21″ to 27″, and assorted sizes outside that, I often browse with the browser window contracted really narrow.
My initial thought was that I probably did it to unclutter the screen in order to get more windows in view, but then I started doing it even when I was just browsing. It probably started out that way though, to save space, and when developing sites I often have the devtools open and docked to the right so the viewport get naturally kind of narrow.
Nevertheless it got me thinking. The emergence of responsive web design and penetration of mobile devices in recent years have resulted in a great focus on mobile experience, and a will and determination to not obscure the websites important content for mobile users. Which of course is a good and honorable thing, and the right thing to do.
However, it seems, it has rendered the “desktop” view the toilet of viewport sizes. The place where the junk goes that did not rank high enough on the important list to cut it on mobile.
Which brings me to my point of contention, if you make a prioritization of information for mobile that list is also the prioritization for desktop. If the content wasn’t worth showing your mobile users it’s not important enough to show your desktop users either. Just cut it out.
In any case I find the experience of browsing “mobile” infinitely more pleasant than desktop so I do it, though I now need for screens to come in 10:16 format instead of 16:10.
Christian Gundersson 