So why aren’t we attempting to be more progressive when we build web sites? The idea sounds simple on paper, but practicing progressive thinking when creating for the web requires patience, objectivity, foresight, and most importantly, knowledge.
If you are in the industry, CSS 3 and HTML 5 may come to mind when you hear the word ‘progressive’. These advancing technologies are some of the most popular discussion topics when it comes to the future of web design, but we can’t forget that the practice of implementing progressive techniques is not limited to the tools we utilize; it stretches into every aspect of the project from conception to execution.
When we are planning and creating web sites, we must move past old habits and traditions that characterize the early days of the web. The web has become a necessity in many people’s lives because it has rapidly grown and matured from its experimental childhood. In order for the web to continue to advance and become more useful, we cannot solely become content with what we have already accomplished.
That’s where progressive thinking and action plays a vital role. Designers should always push the web sites and copy we create in a forward direction. This involves, but is not limited to constantly rethinking about how sites are planned, built, and used. The web is constantly shifting and changing, we must be able to adapt along with it.
One of the greatest changes to the web in the future will likely be the implementation of semantic web technologies. The semantic web is a term coined by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) director, Tim Berners-Lee, which describes the methods and technologies that will allow computers to understand the information the Internet displays as humans do. This semantic web is a vision of information that is understandable by computers, so computers can perform more of the tedious work involved in finding, combining, and acting upon information on the web. This may sound extremely complicated, but many of the technologies proposed by the W3C already exist and are currently being used in one way or the other. When looking to the future, web designers should consider how large leaps such as the semantic web will affect their designs.
The key concept to progressive design is to cater to the latest methods available while remaining backwards compatible with older methods. This applies to every step in the project from usability testing to coding. For example, if you are implementing a new usability technique in your project, do it in a subtle way that experienced users will catch on and benefit from your practice, while less-savvy users will not be impeded by your changes.
Above all else, educate. It is the greatest and most important role for someone who creates for the web. Progression is impossible without education. Informing others of where the web is going, allows us to continue trying new, exciting ideas. Because of those who were willing to look ahead and face new challenges, the web has evolved by small, rapid changes that continue to push the movement forward.
