The iPad Effect On Web Design

You can make your own jokes about the name, or laugh at comedy skits like the recently resurrected MADtv (Google it). You can debate with the likes of New York Times' columnist David Pogue on whether Apple's latest creation will be a great success and "change an industry or two". You can express your disdain for the announcement that AT&T, yes the same call-dropping, data-hog hating AT&T will be the 3G provider. But you can not dismiss the fact that we're moving at light speed toward the day when most people will access the web from mobile devices. There are many devices to choose from now, and our choices will only increase. Platforms, mobile browsers, screen sizes, plug-ins, multi-touch, mobile standards... and you though the browser war was tough on a web designer!

Lets start with the obvious. No matter how hard Steve tried during the 'browse the web' portion of the iPad demo, he couldn't avoid websites that used Flash. The Apple iPad's built-in Safari browser displayed the infamous 'missing plug-in icon' on The New York Times, Time Magazine, and the National Geographic websites. We're all too familiar with the ongoing troubled relationship between Apple and Adobe, where in recent years Apple has rejected Adobe's attempts to put Flash on the iPhone and iPod Touch platforms. According to yesterday's Wired.com article, after the iPad demo Steve addressed the troops and mentioned the ills of Adobe Flash specifically. Apple values its control over media distribution and user experience, and letting Adobe play in its sandbox is not part of the game plan.

Take a moment to image a world where there are no mice, no track pads, no keyboards, no... you get the idea. The changing landscape of UI interaction is quickly becoming a multi-touch world. So does this have an affect on how you design and develop websites? You bet!

Consider rollovers, hover states, and other java script actions that we've come to know and love. Try hovering over a web page item on a touch or multi-touch device. You'll find something is missing. The current input devices do not recognize the (hover) location of your finger until you actually touch something. Providing the helpful feedback that 'this is a link' is not currently an option.

Now consider the flip-side. What if you could physically touch two or more items on a web page at the same time, how would you design for that level of interaction?