The interesting developments in web browsers to allow full page scaling, rather than just scaling the text within a fixed layout, will really help. Increasing use of vector-based content will be a benefit; its good to see that most browsers now include decent SVG support.
I’m still not convinced that multi-column layouts are appropriate for text-based content on the web. For advertising and information, sure. But for reading a body of text, I want to scroll in one dimension, not two. And for reading on small screen sizes - the iPhone or the Wii for example - a single column that can be zoomed to the page width is the only sane way to present text. Thankfully most web sites work like that.
I can see good functional design arguments for using multi-column text in many forms of traditional publication, but can see very little reason (than an aesthetic desire to ape the printed page) to use multiple columns for on-screen reading. And there are plenty of reasons to use a single-column layout.
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I’m still not convinced that multi-column layouts are appropriate for text-based content on the web. For advertising and information, sure. But for reading a body of text, I want to scroll in one dimension, not two. And for reading on small screen sizes - the iPhone or the Wii for example - a single column that can be zoomed to the page width is the only sane way to present text. Thankfully most web sites work like that.
I can see good functional design arguments for using multi-column text in many forms of traditional publication, but can see very little reason (than an aesthetic desire to ape the printed page) to use multiple columns for on-screen reading. And there are plenty of reasons to use a single-column layout.