In years past, chances are most of you—particularly if you have more than a passing interest in cars—would have looked at the initials “RWD” and immediately thought “rear-wheel drive.”
Nowadays, however, an increasing number of you—particularly those who constantly are looking at websites on your iPad or smartphone—may recognize “RWD” as the abbreviation of “responsive web design.” Just to check that theory, I Googled the term “RWD cars” and came up with 1.8 million results, well under half the 4.8 million results for “RWD design.”
All of this is a roundabout way to put a spotlight on the fact that Rubber & Plastics News has upgraded its website offerings to RWD. If you've visited our site at www.rubbernews.com in the last week or so, you may have noticed the new design.
What that means to you is simple: Whether you're viewing the RPN website on your desktop, a tablet or your mobile phone, the site is now designed to adapt—or “respond”—to whatever device you're using.
When most people were accessing websites via either desktop or laptop computers, the design and navigation of these sites was completed with that in mind. But as the evolution of technology led more people to view sites with phones and tablets, it was found that these outdated website designs were far from “one size fits all” answer. If you're like me, you've been frustrated when trying to read a story on your phone or iPad by continually having to move the image around to keep reading.
That's where you'll find RWD particularly helpful when viewing our website and email newsletters. The headlines and story summaries will adjust to your screen. The same goes when you're reading full stories, using navigation tools, watching videos or using other user interface elements.
We at RPN feel this is an important change to make to continue to provide our readers with the best experience possible. Just as all of you strive to keep up with technology to keep your businesses competitive, we as a publication must do the same to ensure that you continue to make us your top source for news in the rubber industry.
So check it out—kick the tires, so to speak—and let us know what you think (or if you need help finding where something is). Contact me at [email protected] or Alaina Scott, our online manager, at [email protected].
Meyer is executive editor of Rubber & Plastics News. Follow him on Twitter @bmeyerRPN.