Responsive vs Adaptive Design
What’s the Best Choice for Designers?
Google has always recommended responsive web design (RWD), especially after rolling out a big update on the 4/21/15 which ranked mobile-friendly sites higher.
It doesn’t specify in the update that you must use responsive design though, just that a site be accessible on mobile, with good UX and performance.
With that in mind, let’s examine the pros and cons of adaptive vs. responsive design with regards to performance and UX.
One of the biggest debates that we’ve seen since the rise of mobile is whether you should choose to develop a responsive, adaptive web design (AWD) or standalone mobile site. For the purposes of this discussion, we’ll leave out standalone m. sites as it appears to be the least favorite solution for designers and businesses since they must be created separately (which accrues more upfront cost and maintenance costs).