12
May
The Web Browser Debate
A great debate has been brewing for some time in the world of web browsers. Once an individual enters the world of web design, it doesn’t take long before they notice the not-so-subtle differences in the way Internet Explorer (choose your favorite version) renders CSS attributes as opposed to the “other guys” i.e. Firefox, Safari, Chrome, etc. Being that IE is still one of the most used browsers in the world, there’s no getting around the fact that designs must cater to the differences and inconsistencies presented by the Microsoft offering.
I recently read an interesting article entitled: “How do you convince the average web user to switch to a non-IE browser?.” It takes a somewhat scientific approach to learning how a non computer savvy person views the use of a browser to consume the internet. The picture painted in the article of a view through the eyes of someone who doesn’t deal with computers and internet technology on a regular basis makes for an interesting experiment to someone such as myself. I feel like, as a designer, I sometimes have a hard time putting myself in the virtual shoes of my audience.
I work for a company that sells devices that are considered to be “technologically advanced,” and offers a web-based application as a companion to the device. One thing I have learned over the last six or so years is that just because a company is advanced in technology, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s customers are as well. With a customer base that is still 72% Internet Explorer users, 20% of those being version 7, my job is to verify that our application looks presentable, even in a browser that is almost five years old. The highlight of the year was following suit with companies like Google as they dropped support for IE6. During a recent redesign of the web application, a consultant and I completed a few “house-calls” to see exactly how the customer was using our software. This not only gave us insight into how they use our app, and what is utilized most, but it also gave us a feel for how they interact with computers in general. It can be surprising how little people who do their work on a computer, actually know about how to use the machine itself. I would liken this experience to what Louis Lazaris wrote about in his article, the exception being that we were not there to sway the customer to use a different browser. We do however make suggestions as to the browser to use for the best experience with our app and its mapping functionality. That browser is Firefox.
There will always be a debate as to which browser is superior in form and function, but the debate I find even more intense is that which is precipitated by the designers who work most closely with them. In a perfect world, everyone would use the same browser for their internet usage, or at the very least all browsers would render code in the same manner. This world, as we know, is far from perfect but should I be called out for having such a dream? Isn’t that why standards are agreed upon and documented? The content of the article was compelling, but it was a statement in the comment section that stuck with me. It accused the design community of being ignorant, thinking the answer to the browser issue is to switch users rather than do the job of designing websites and apps for what the masses use. I can honestly say that I both agree and disagree with the statement.
The only surefire solution to the problem of web designs rendering differently based on the end user’s browser: tweak the code and styles to make it look good in every browser used by your audience. Is it the best solution… absolutely not! The time spent perfecting a design in 3, 4, or more browsers, not to mention different versions is a huge time sink. A better solution may be to start designing in the oldest, most feature-lacking browser and verify in newer versions to confirm that it still looks good. Less time wasted, but you are automatically excluding a ton of functionality by catering to the lesser of the browsers to begin with. The question is, do the users of your site or app care about functionality available to them in newer browsers. These are the things that should be determined when researching your target audience. I think sometimes we designers simply fall in love with new functionality or newer tags that allow us to accomplish design components in an easier way, but we have to ask ourselves if the user even cares.
If it is considered ignorant to wish for internet users of the world to all at least upgrade to the newest (stable) version of their browser of choice, then I would consider myself the picture-perfect definition of the term. Why does a user continue to use a browser that is five years old? In some cases, regulation. My company has several customers employed by the government. The government still apparently sees no benefit to paying for an upgrade of their systems. In many other cases, the answer is familiarity and lack of motivation. Lazaris’ article pointed out an important point that an inexperienced user sees no need for upgrading because the old version “works just fine.” They are comfortable using what they have always used, and change is confusing.
Why do these software companies keep developing newer versions of their browsers? My best educated guess would be to increase security and create a better experience for the user. If companies like Google and Microsoft were perfectly happy with the performance and security of their current browsers, they would not be developing new versions. Obviously the browser market is not such a money maker that companies are compelled to launch huge advertising campaigns. I have seen advertising on a smaller scale, including one in which Microsoft encouraged users to upgrade their Internet Explorer, but it seemed more geared toward people who know the value of upgrading already. Many have suggested that Internet Explorer employ an auto-update model similar to that used in Firefox. This brings bad with the good. The good news is that you’re browser stays up to date with the latest and greatest, and only takes about a minute or so to complete. The bad news is there are so many patches, you may feel a bit violated when you have to update every other week if not more frequently. There certainly is no perfect solution to this problem currently.
The great browser debate will go on, perhaps indefinitely. I can only hope, as a web designer, that the count of outdated browsers in use continues to decline and that some method is devised to reduce the amount of ‘new’ old browsers in circulation as newer versions are released. I understand that it is my job to account for all possible software used by my audience, but also have to ask why it has to be so hard. Why can’t all browser developers agree on a set of standards and stick to them. Why must there always be a rebel in the crowd, and why must that rebel be the most utilized browser out there. Just because it garners more users, does not make it right.
