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Responsive Web Design (RWD) is a rapidly growing trend in the online world, and one that is both timely and practical for today’s online consumer. Mobile use is set to outgrow desktop internet use by 2014, and with the proliferation of mobile devices, from tablets and netbooks to smartphones and some of the more unusual innovations hitting the design scene, websites need to cater to various displays, and do so with style. RWD ensures that whatever the device, whatever the operating system or platform, a webpage is displayed correctly. With more and more RWD websites appearing, we’ve decided to showcase 10 of the best.
1. Starbucks
Drop-down menus that include apps for your iPhone or Android OS crown a well-crafted page that allows ease of access to news, videos and a range of products. An elegant yet dynamic aesthetic with a range of further features, such as a store-locator, displays well on mobile devices and those drop down menus condense nicely into a single touch-screen navigation icon.
2. BBC News
One of an emerging class of website that seems to favor mobile over desktop displays, the BBC News page is built around a single headline image. The designers have taken a no-nonsense, strictly pragmatic approach that unifies mobile technology, webpage display and a tradition of honest news reporting.
3. Deal Zippy
Deal Zippy represents the cutting edge in consumer-orientated development, with the best collection of online deals available anywhere. A neat product menu opens nicely into pop-ups with further information, ensuring you see only what you want to see, while a ‘Local Deals’ menu helps personalise your experience even further. A simple design removes the clutter of many online stores while maintaining a refreshingly simple aesthetic.
4. Currys
Perhaps unsurprisingly for a specialist in electronic goods, Currys has become one of the biggest e-commerce sites to fully utilize RWD. Their greatest achievement is not in aesthetics, but in providing a huge range of products without cluttering the site with excessive menu bars and options.
5. Salt
At the other end of the spectrum, the online surf shop Salt maximizes on aesthetic appeal with a playlist of full-page photographs that form the background of a simple webpage. This gentle parade of eye-catching imagery lulls the viewer into a relaxed shopping experience, minimizing text and other demands on attention and ensuring a crisp and clean display on mobile devices.
6. Burton
Burton have opted for ultimate utility through a page design that displays in exactly the same fashion, regardless of device. While this means that menu buttons can be awkward to press from on a mobile display, its construction around a simple grid with large photos makes it easy to navigate.
7. Style in View
Style in View lists hundreds of thousands of fashion products on its website so its important that information is well organized, navigation is concise and the design showcases the fashion on sale, even on small screens.
8. Fit for a Frame
Design flair comes in the form of both the prints and illustrations sold through the site, and a versatile display that does them justice whatever the platform.
9. Gov.uk 
On a more serious note, the Gov.uk site does away with images altogether to provide a uniform service across devices. They specialize in information, and easy-to-navigate menus provide exactly that.
10. Microsoft 
Microsoft has made the most of both these worlds, providing a site that combines simple images, easy-to-navigate menus and an overall layout that is spacious, clean and practical, without losing points in the design department.
This article was written by a guest writer and Evolutionary Designs may or may not agree with what is written. Please contact us if you have any questions about the writer or if you want to guest write for us.
Author Bio
John McElborough is a web designer and online marketer from the UK specializing in UX and conversion rate optimization.
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