Adam Oliver

Should we aim for a design to look the same in every browser? My feeling on the matter is no. Sure, we need to make an aesthetically pleasing, usable design for every browser but is it really worth spending that extra time making sure that that little bit of extra functionality works in IE6?

It is my view that browser support should be less focused on pixel perfect designs and head in the direction towards usability and accessibility. When the foundations are set in all browsers, advanced featured and aesthetics can be added to the browsers that support it.

In Yahoo’s browser support documentation they state that “Requiring the same experience for all users creates a barrier to participation. Availability and accessibility of content should be our key priority.”

Aiming for pixel perfect designs across multiple browsers can produce significant overhead in the development time required to overcome the limitations of older browsers. Furthermore, hacks often have to be implemented for code to work in older browsers. It is quite possible that this hack could break the design in future browsers.

The approach I have started to take in my work is to ensure that the site looks and works well in the oldest browsers and for newer browsers the design and interface is enhanced. Enhancements could include things like the use of rounded corners, drop shadows, improved typography, and javascript to improve the interactivity of the site.

In taking this approach websites can be accessible and usable in older browsers and enhanced in newer browsers, reducing development times whilst ensuring every user gets the best possible experience within the limitations of their choice of browser.