The Value of Web Design Standards for Mobile Computing

Abstract

The multiple and ever-evolving standards that govern mobile computing result in multilayered heterogeneous environments of mobile devices and services. Thus, as mobile computing becomes more prevalent, it is important that designers build systems that support as many unique, in-use, and userdefined characteristics as possible. This study explores the related effects of two existing standardized technologies: hypertext markup language (HTML) and cascading style sheets (CSS). Furthermore, whereas we investigate the impact of the CSS standard in the context of computing in general and mobile computing in particular, we also focus on two emerging roles of this standard: device independence and usability. Our findings suggest that the application of the CSS standard can improve data delivery across independent devices with varied bandwidth and resource availability, thereby providing device independence and improved usability respectively. We demonstrate that through their effect on device independence and usability, CSS plays an important role in the evolution, expansion, and openness of mobile computing.