The Mobile Web More: Site Design Or Technology?

Tim Berners-Lee claims that no one is designing web sites with the mobile user in mind -- and that's holding back mobile Web offerings. Could it be that technology is as much to blame?

Berners-Lee certainly isn't one to shy away from opinions concerning the World Wide Web, which he initially created. His latest claim is that the main issue holding back mobile Web usage is that web sites aren't designed with mobile devices in mind. In his view, it's similar to designing for accessibility. Web sites should be designed to make it easier for those who are visually impaired to read, for example. In the same way, Berners-Lee suggests, web sites should be designed to make it easier for mobile devices to display.

So how can web sites be designed for mobile situations without creating separate sites or without dumbing down the sites that are designed well for desktop usage? The answer might be more in the technology than in the design of the sites. Zoomable and scrollable interfaces are currently being designed -- though, they may be a long way from common usage. Flexible displays have been promised for years, but breakthroughs in the technology are finally coming together.