The Uncertain Web

What’s the best way to develop for a Web gone wild? That’s easy. Simply scrap the rules you’ve relied on all these years and embrace uncertainty as a core tenet of design. In this practical book, veteran developer Rob Larsen outlines the principles out what he calls The Uncertain Web, and shows you techniques necessary to successfully make the transition.

By combining web standards, progressive enhancement, an iterative approach to design and development, and a desire to question the status quo, your team can create sites and applications that will perform well in a wide range of present and future devices. This guide points the way.

Topics include:

• Navigating thousands of browser/device/OS combinations
• Focusing on optimal, not absolute solutions
• Feature detection, Modernizr, and polyfills
• RWD, mobile first, and progressive enhancement
• UIs that work with multiple user input modes
• Image optimization, SVG, and server-side options
• The horribly complex world of web video
• The Web we want to see in the future

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Embracing Uncertainty
Chapter 2. Navigating the Uncertain Web
Chapter 3. Lay a Foundation for the Future with Feature Detection and Polyfills
Chapter 4. Selecting Responsive Design or Another Mobile Experience
Chapter 5. Working with User Input
Chapter 6. The Surprisingly Complex World of Images on the Web
Chapter 7. The Horribly Complex World of Web Video
Chapter 8. The Web We Want