In this white paper, ICF International's Jeremy Vanderlan highlights how responsive design provides a baseline for mobile going forward. It becomes the common experience—the ubiquitous “anytime, anywhere, on any device” ideal called for in the digital government strategy. Mobile has opened a new era, erasing barriers to access and providing a common platform that fits in a pocket. Government must recognize this change and resist becoming siloed and fragmented, chasing temporal technologies and operating systems that become obsolete within months rather than years. Programs that effectively manage the rate of change and build from a baseline are in the best position to capitalize on the mobile era.
The inclusion of responsive design in the broader digital government strategy is a call to a common standard, a new default for citizen engagement with government via the Internet—one that is sustainable, cost-effective, and universal. It requires a flexible approach to content and an emphasis on progressive enhancement.