I appreciate your concerns about responsive design, namely the logistical and performance-related issues of creating a separate user experience for mobile devices.
I'd like to add that responsive design doesn't have to be an annoying exercise in which developers try to flatten a full-featured site into one column. On the contrary, they can begin by developing a site that works well for mobile, then expand it into a Desktop version.
Designing the mobile experience first can be conceptually useful because it helps developers zero in on the features that are most essential. I did this recently while creating a mobile browser-based geocaching app. I would have liked to have created a single version for mobile and Desktop. Device resolutions are improving, as you said, but I knew that my prospective users had iPhones and Androids with relatively small screens.
Developing a minimalistic version of my Web app in the beginning helped me to focus and hone in on the most important features. This approach may not work in all cases, but I think it's a useful aspect (maybe a side effect) of responsive design.
I probably should have been clear that the one column thing was just an example. I agree that there is certainly more to responsive design than that, else it would be much easier!
But, what you mentioned with regard to being more thoughtful about the design and distilling it to its minimalistic essence is partly where I was going, except to a different conclusion. That is, if such a clean, focused design can be achieved, then what results is a Web app that could likely work well across devices.
But, if that minimalistic design leaves much to be desired on the desktop (i.e. a remarkably better experience can be delivered because of the additional available real estate, well then we are likely talking about a fundamentally different design. In that case, I say build it out separately vs. trying to have each page, CSS, etc. pull double-duty.
>Developing a minimalistic version of my Web app in the beginning helped me to focus [...] it's a useful aspect of responsive design
Good point. But, I think that's more a side effect of mobile-first than responsive design.
I'd like to add that responsive design doesn't have to be an annoying exercise in which developers try to flatten a full-featured site into one column. On the contrary, they can begin by developing a site that works well for mobile, then expand it into a Desktop version.
Designing the mobile experience first can be conceptually useful because it helps developers zero in on the features that are most essential. I did this recently while creating a mobile browser-based geocaching app. I would have liked to have created a single version for mobile and Desktop. Device resolutions are improving, as you said, but I knew that my prospective users had iPhones and Androids with relatively small screens.
Developing a minimalistic version of my Web app in the beginning helped me to focus and hone in on the most important features. This approach may not work in all cases, but I think it's a useful aspect (maybe a side effect) of responsive design.