Embracing the Universal Web

Web browsers are constantly evolving, introducing features like subgrid, variable fonts, and enhanced developer tools. This presents a golden opportunity to rethink web design principles. While responsive design has served us well, its roots lie in the limitations of the 2010 web. Today, we can create more "intrinsic" designs (a term coined by Jen Simmons) and reconsider outdated best practices.

This evolution is particularly exciting in the context of a universally accessible web. My career began during the peak of the Web Standards Project, influenced by the philosophies of CSS Zen Garden, Designing with Web Standards, and A Dao of Web Design. CSS, then relatively new, was designed to balance the needs of web creators and individual users across diverse devices. "Progressive enhancement" and "unobtrusive JavaScript" were key concepts, shifting the focus from browser-specific limitations to an accessible, resilient, and user-centric medium.

Many of these concerns have become standard practice. CSS is ubiquitous, and responsive design is the norm. However, I also observe a growing trend towards applications designed for a narrow range of modern browsers, often ignoring older browsers or new features for years to maintain compatibility with outdated ones like IE11. We've become accustomed to a binary view of browser support, limiting ourselves to features compatible with our "supported" browsers.

This shift has various causes, including the allure of cutting-edge features. While such cycles are natural, it's time for reflection. New browser features often prioritize universal accessibility, and tools exist to manage browser support more flexibly, similar to viewport management.

Whether we call it Intrinsic Design, Resilient CSS, Progressive Enhancement, Universal Accessibility, or something else, a new era of web creation is dawning. We should build upon the lessons learned from responsive design—adapting to screen sizes—and expand this to encompass screen readers, legacy browsers, smart speakers, and other interfaces.

I'm eager to explore new methodologies and conventions that transcend managing specificity and cascading styles, or simply targeting phones and laptops. The goal is to effectively manage accessibility and universal compatibility. Let's embrace the web's exciting new features without abandoning the vision of a truly universal web. The tools are available; let's create it.

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