Running head: WEB DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY: CHALLENGES AND

TRENDS

Web Development and Mobile Technology: Challenges and Trends

Samuel Curcio
University of Wisconsin-Stout

WEB DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY: CHALLENGES AND TRENDS

Table of Contents
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Problem Statement.......................................................................................................................3
Challenges and Trends in Mobile Web Development......................................................................4
Usability does matter...................................................................................................................4
Responsive web design................................................................................................................4
Image optimization......................................................................................................................5
JavaScript.....................................................................................................................................6
HTML specifications...................................................................................................................6
Accessibility................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................9

WEB DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY: CHALLENGES AND TRENDS

Introduction
Mobile devices have surpassed all other forms of computing devices when it comes to
Internet access. No longer are desktop and laptop computers the only means by which
individuals can surf the Web, create emails, or view their favorite social media sites. With this
surge of mobile device usage, web developers, software programmers, and hardware
manufacturers are now challenged to create user experiences that equal the utility of the original
large computing devices. This presents problems in software and hardware design that must be
explored so that users of large-screen machines are presented with a similar usable and pleasing
experience on small-screen devices. This paper will examine the various challenges and
suggested changes that should be implemented to create rich environments that mobile users can
appreciate when they access the Internet.
Problem Statement
The Internet has moved from the desktop to the streets and sidewalks of the world. No
longer is a person restricted to a static location in order to get information or access their favorite
media. In a recent study, Walker Sands Communications estimated that the mobile portion of all
Web traffic increased from just 12.59% in 2011 to 23.14% in 2012 (Dundar, Yumusak, & Arsoy,
2013). This means there is an ever-increasing load being placed on the infrastructure that
supports Web access. The congestion, and the subsequent slowdown, in web page rendering will
only continue, therefore most users will be presented with a pitiable to mediocre web viewing
experience.
The problems that increased mobile traffic presents are outlined in this paper. Along with
those issues are solutions from several sources. Each resolution will be a factor in how functional
Internet usability will be in the future. Without these implementations, the World Wide Web will

WEB DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY: CHALLENGES AND TRENDS

come to a crawl due to the growing demand being placed on it from a combination of mobile and
fixed access points.
Challenges and Trends in Mobile Web Development
Usability does matter
One area that has seen an increase in the use of the Internet over the past decade is
education. With the proliferation of relatively cheap mobile devices, such as the Apple iPad,
learning has gone from the classroom to the anywhere there is a wireless connection. Mobile
learning has become a multimillion-dollar industry (Martin, Pastore, & Snider, 2012). Along
with that explosion of people wanting to increase their knowledge, comes the need to explore
ways to make instruction useable on smaller devices.
The educational system is not the only area that requires more from smaller devices. The
same holds true for businesses. Usability, which can be described as how easy a devices
interface is to navigate and present data, is important when decisions rest on the availability of
specific information at a moments notice (Martin, Pastore, & Snider, 2012). Limited screen size
plays an important role in the development of websites for mobile devices. When information is
restricted to small screens, or viewports, then the developer of the site must determine how to
present the content.
Responsive web design
Responsive web design, which was first described by developer Ethan Marcotte in 2010
as a way to make a website pleasing to view on any screen size, is a one method to create
visually appealing content for mobile devices (Kim, Responsive Web Design, Discoverability,
and Mobile Challenge, 2013). With the use of coding called media queries, specific styles can
incorporated into web pages depending on the screen size. It will not matter if the device has a
480, 768, or wider, pixel display, because the web page will render in a way that makes the

WEB DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY: CHALLENGES AND TRENDS

content fit the devices screen. This can be accomplished by reducing the size of text and images,
moving certain elements for better spacing, or eliminating objects altogether from web pages.
Another route to take, which disregards the use of responsive design, is the creation of
websites that are dedicated specifically for the mobile or the desktop platform. These are static
sites, which do not reposition or change content to fit various screen sizes. In principle, one site
will not fit all. In this practice, websites and their content could be developed with the
requirements of smaller devices in mind, such as for tablets and mobile phones. Although the
development of separately rendered sites would be a big undertaking in person-hours, the content
would be guaranteed to work without major difficulties (Power, 2012).
Image optimization
While deciding whether to use responsive or static design is a major concern when
planning a website, another area to consider that affects performance is the content itself. A study
performed by Troy Johnson and Patrick Seeling at Central Michigan University, presented data
that shows web page sizes have increased over a two-year period from June 2011 to June 2013.
For mobile sites alone, this growth amounted to 40% per year (Johnson & Seeling, 2013). The
main component creating this upsurge in web page size is the image content. Not only is it the
amount of images being requested per page load, but in addition, how well those images are
optimized.
Image color and quality optimization can be controlled through the design process in
graphics software, such as Adobe Photoshop. Moreover, best use of images for mobile Web
should include practices recommended by Kate Matsudaira (Matsudaira, 2013), such as using
CSS for decoration. By incorporating CSS specifications for shadows, borders, rounded corners,
and other effects, the image file sizes can be reduced, which in turn means faster download of
those elements from the server.

WEB DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY: CHALLENGES AND TRENDS

JavaScript
Another way to minimize the delay in rendering web content is to restrict the use of
JavaScript. Normally, scripts can use up a great deal of processing power that could otherwise be
used to execute less power intensive calculations. Employing CSS3 transition and animation
declarations are much more efficient when there is the need to create such effects. By using CSS,
the browser, instead of the CPU, controls the rendering of those properties. This then frees up the
processor for other duties. In the end, the goal here should be to create smaller JavaScript to keep
execution at a minimum on mobile devices (Zakas, 2013).
HTML specifications
Along with JavaScript, there is HTML, the backbone of the Web. HTML is the language
that provides the structure for the construction of websites. It is constantly evolving with new
standards that will assure efficiency in design, both on mobile and large screen devices. One of
the main objectives of the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group (WHATWG)
is to create specifications that can be adopted by browser developers, such as Google, Apple,
Mozilla, and Microsoft. With tighter standards, web design will come to the point where
developers will be able to concentrate more on the content than on specific browser
requirements. The latest standard is HTML5, which should be an official recommendation by the
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in 2014. Yet, as this newest revision takes the stage, future
specifications are being considered by the Consortium (Anthes, 2012). These specs will
incorporate even more functionality for mobile devices.
Accessibility
There have been slow but steady advances to accommodate computer users with
disabilities. Over the time that the technology has been available, developers and manufacturers
have been at work to improve access for everyone. Web standards have continued to

WEB DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY: CHALLENGES AND TRENDS

revolutionize the desktop experience so that the Internet is no longer out of reach for the
disabled. As websites and web applications move beyond the stationary desktop, there is a call
for developers to focus their efforts on creating an enhanced mobile usability.
In order to guarantee mobile assess for the disabled, new specifications must be created
by the authorities that set standards. The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) reviews those
specifications for accessibility and makes recommendations for revisions. Within a subgroup
called the HTML Accessibility Task Force, there have been developments in the structure of
HTML5 that support alternative multimedia and textual presentations. These elements will
provide the disabled with improved ways to interact with websites. Assistive devices, such as
screen readers, will take advantage of the updated language by offering those with debilities a
substitute experience that will fulfill their needs.
HTML5 includes many accessibility specifications that will become the official W3C
standard in 2014. Nevertheless, even though that standard is not yet in affect, as many as 34% of
the top 100 websites are now using HTML5 as their structural language (Abou-Zahra, Brewer, &
Henry, 2013).
Conclusion
In the future, mobile device manufactures will release products that will be able to handle
information efficiently with robust processors and visually appealing displays. Along with the
device makers, telecommunications companies will improve their infrastructure so that wireless
signals can offer greater speed and reliability.
According to Kim (Kim, The Mobile Shift, 2013), mobile web usage will continue to
expand as the public adopts smartphones and tablets as their primary sources for information.
With this increase in demand, developers must continually upgrade their skills and employ the
newest technologies to ensure proper rendering on smaller devices. Best practices include the use

WEB DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY: CHALLENGES AND TRENDS

of the latest standards of HTML5 and CSS3, the production of responsive layouts, optimizing
images using Photoshop or graphics applications, writing smaller scripts to alleviate the
bottleneck in processing, and the inclusion of standards for users with disabilities. While this is
not a complete list, developers can be confident that, by using these principles in their work, they
will be providing a greater web experience for their visitors.

WEB DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY: CHALLENGES AND TRENDS

References
Abou-Zahra, S., Brewer, J., & Henry, S. L. (2013). Essential components of mobile web
accessibility. W4A '13 Proceedings of the 10th International Cross-Disciplinary
Conference on Web Accessibility (pp. 1-4). New York: Association for Computing
Machinery.
Anthes, G. (2012, July). HTML5 Leads a Web Revolution. Communications of the ACM, 16-17.
Dundar, B., Yumusak, N., & Arsoy, S. (2013). Guided-Based Usability Evaluation On Mobile
Websites. ICIW 2013: The Eighth Internatioanl Conference on Internet and Web
Appllcations and Services (pp. 213-217). Istanbul: IARIA.
Johnson, T., & Seeling, P. (2013). Desktop and Mobile Web Page Comparison: Characteristics,
Trends, and Implications. Mount Pleasant: Central Michigan University.
Kim, B. (2013, August/September). Responsive Web Design, Discoverability, and Mobile
Challenge. Library Technology Reports, 29-39.
Kim, B. (2013, August/September). The Mobile Shift. Library Technology Reports, 5-8.
Martin, F., Pastore, R., & Snider, J. (2012, September). Developing Mobile Based Instruction.
Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 46-51.
Matsudaira, K. (2013, March). Making the Mobile Web Faster. Communications of the ACM, 5661.
Power, M. (2012). Delivering Web to Mobile. Bath: UKOLN.
Zakas, N. (2013, April). The Evolution of Web Development for Mobile Devices.
Communications of the ACM, 42-48.