This was a guest lecture I did on Progressive Enhancement for Peter-Paul Koch’s class on Browser Technologies

1. Adapting
to Reality
Aaron Gustafson
@AaronGustafson
slideshare.net/AaronGustafson

2. Web design &
development is hard
© Brad Frost

3. Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
640 × 480
In the beginning…

6. 800 × 600
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
Ok, we can go a little larger

10. Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
1024 × 768
Ok, a bit larger, but that’s it

11. Created by Vectors Mark
from the Noun Project
1366 × 768
1024 × 600
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
1280 × 800
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
800 × 600
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
Of course laptops…

12. 1024 × 768
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
The web’s “happy place”

13. 640 × 200
Created by Douglas Santos
from the Noun Project
Created by creative outlet
from the Noun Project
240 × 240
We were ignoring mobile…

14. 3840 × 2160
320 × 480
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
Until this happened

15. Don’t even get me
started on tablets
© Brad Frost

16. Credit: OpenSignalMaps

19. 3840 × 2160
320 × 480
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
Until this happened

20. 1920 × 1080
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
7680 × 4320
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
Desktops today…

21. Chasing screen
sizes is clearly a
fool’s errand

22. In the second quarter of 2008
we detected 71 different
screen resolutions among our
visitors. In the first quarter of
2014 we detected
— Jason Samuels
IT Manager,
National Council on Family Relations
“
1062
One year after the iPhone
5 years ago!
Source

23. In 2008, 27 screen
resolutions showed up with
more than 10 visits, in 2014
that number was
— Jason Samuels
IT Manager,
National Council on Family Relations
“ 200
Source

24. Chasing screen
sizes is clearly a
fool’s errand

25. Designing for
screens is hard

26. And then there’s
everything else

27. Your content can and will go
anywhere that’s connected
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
wearables smart tvs IoT assistants

28. Meaning users will need to
interact in different ways
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
touch Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
mouse
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
keyboard

29. Meaning users will need to
interact in different ways
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
touch Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
mouse
Created by bezier master
from the Noun Project
T9
Created by Christopher Holm-Hansen
from the Noun Project
eye tracking
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
remote
Created by Setyo Ari Wibowo
from the Noun Project
pen
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
keyboard
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
audio
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
gamepad
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
print
Created by Adriano Emerick
from the Noun Project
braille

30. Over varied networks and
in changing conditions
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
hardline
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
wifi
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
mobile
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
homes Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
buildings
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
cars
Created by Vectors Market
buses Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
trains Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
airplanes

31. And, ultimately, our users all
have different needs too

32. Anyone notice I
haven’t even
mentioned
browsers?
;-)

33. So...‽

34. REALITY CHECK
Nothing about our users’
experiences of the web
has ever been as
homogenous
as we imagined.

35. Treat your
ideal scenario
as an edge case

37. The reality

38. The reality

39. ADAPTING TO REALITY
U.S. Smartphone penetration
< $30k
71%
$30-50k
78%
$50-75k
90%
>$75k
95%
49.55% of the population
Smartphone
Other

40. ADAPTING TO REALITY
U.S. Smartphone penetration
Urban
83%
Suburban
83%
Rural
71%
Smartphone
Other

41. ADAPTING TO REALITY
One in 5 U.S. adults is a
smartphone-only Internet
user.
Smartphone
Other

42. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Not all smartphones are equal
BLU Studio Mini
5.5" (1440 × 720)
2 GB RAM
32 GB Storage
13 MP Camera
1.6 GHz Octo-core
Android 9
$79
Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
6.8” (3200 × 1440)
12 GB RAM
128 GB Storage
4 Cameras (10–108 MP)
2.8GHz (1) / 2.4GHZ (3) / 1.8GHZ (4)
Android 11
$999

43. In the 2017 survey, Smartphone users
making < $30k/yr experienced app errors
52% of the time
Source

45. Photo Credit: Dylan Passmore

46. wheelchairs strollers bicycles skateboards

47. one arm arm injury new parent
permanent situational

48. one arm arm injury new parent
permanent situational
26K 13M 8M
+ +
21 Million People

49. So how can we make
our interfaces work
for everyone?

50. Approach your job
with an open mind
and empathy for
your users.

51. We try stuff,
make mistakes,
& learn from them

52. Progressive
Enhancement

53. User
Experience
Browser Capabilities
BASIC ADVANCED

54. I like an escalator because
an escalator can never break,
it can only become stairs.
— Mitch Hedberg

55. Mono

56. Stereo

57. Surround
Sound

58. 5.1 Channel
Surround

59. 7.1 Channel
Surround

60. 16.2 Channel Surround

61. Sometimes it’s
all you need

62. Kindle 3 = Free global data

63. Graceful
Degradation

64. Modern
Browsers
Older Browsers

65. Modern
Browsers
Older Browsers

67. I’m sorry,
you need
more channels

69. ADAPTING TO REALITY
They’re actually related
Graceful Degradation Progressive
Enhancement

70. Technological
restrictions

74. What matters

75. “Mobile first”

76. It’s all about process

77. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
1. Focus on what matters.
81
The essential nugget

78. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
2. Write it out, then read it back.
82
How does this photo make you feel?
Embarrassing
Upsetting
Saddening
Bad Photo
Other

79. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
2. Write it out, then read it back.
83
How does this photo make you feel?
Embarrassing
Upsetting
Saddening
Bad Photo
Other it’s embarrassing
•

80. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
2. Write it out, then read it back.
84
Please describe the photo
It’s embarrassing
It’s a bad photo of me
It makes me sad

81. ADAPTING TO REALITY
3. Look for semantics that support 1 & 2.
Step by step
85
heading
a
paragraph
a
img
a

82. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
3. Look for semantics that support 1 & 2.
86
heading (also .p-name)
a (also .u-url)
paragraph
a
(also .p-author
& .h-card)
.h-entry (feed)
img (also .u-photo)
a (also rel-tag)

83. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
4. Think about how design can improve comprehension.
87
visually the most
important text
distinct from the
content & diminished
in importance
Less important &
distinct from content

84. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
5. Consider how your design choices impact the reading experience.
88
Can’t tell what the
episode is called

85. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
5. Consider how your design choices impact the reading experience.
89
Floated images crush the
text on small screens
Ouch

86. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
6. Think about the many different ways folks might interact.
90
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
touch Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
mouse
Created by bezier master
from the Noun Project
T9
Created by Christopher Holm-Hansen
from the Noun Project
eye tracking Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
remote
Created by Setyo Ari Wibowo
from the Noun Project
pen
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
keyboard
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
gamepad
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
print
Created by Adriano Emerick
from the Noun Project
braille
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
audio

87. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
6. Think about the many different ways folks might interact.
91
touch Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
mouse
Created by Christopher Holm-Hansen
from the Noun Project
eye tracking
Hover?

88. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
6. Think about the many different ways folks might interact.
92
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
touch Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
mouse
Created by bezier master
from the Noun Project
T9
Created by Christopher Holm-Hansen
from the Noun Project
eye tracking Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
remote
Created by Setyo Ari Wibowo
from the Noun Project
pen
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
keyboard
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
gamepad
Focus & target?
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
audio

89. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
6. Think about the many different ways folks might interact.
93
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
touch Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
mouse
Created by Setyo Ari Wibowo
from the Noun Project
pen
Gestures?

90. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
6. Think about the many different ways folks might interact.
94
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
print
Created by Adriano Emerick
from the Noun Project
braille
Text expansions?
Created by Vectors Market
from the Noun Project
audio

91. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
7. Map the potential experiences.
95
Path A
Experience 1
Start
Path B
Experience 2
Notes
Decision point Change

92. ADAPTING TO REALITY
Step by step
1. Focus on what matters.
2. Write it out, then read it back.
3. Look for semantics that support 1 & 2.
4. Think about how design can improve comprehension.
5. Consider how your design choices impact the reading experience.
6. Think about the many different ways folks might interact.
7. Map the potential experiences.
8. Iterate.
97

93. Thank you!
@AaronGustafson
aaron-gustafson.com
noti.st/AaronGustafson