RI.gov is Designed to Take Advantage of the Modern Web.
Whether you are browsing on a widescreen monitor, a tablet, or a smartphone, we've got you covered. This is achieved through responsive design, a new way of approaching the challenges of designing for an increasing array of devices. The site reformats to fit your screen and browsing preference.
Browsing on a tablet? You'll see navigation at the top, designed to create the most room for the content. On a widescreen desktop? You'll see easy-to-use navigation on the left, and a multi-column layout designed especially for you. To see this in action, try resizing your browser window using Safari, Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer 9. On an older computer? No problem, we’ve got you covered too.
For more on this approach and our other design improvements, read the article by Ethan Marcotte that started it all and dig deeper with our information listed below.
Our Design Also Features
HTML5
RI.gov is one of the first state portals in the country to use the new HTML5 document type, as well as improvements to forms, including our new search box. Try out RI.gov on a smartphone to see this in action.
Web Fonts
Great improvements have come to Web typography in the last two years. RI.gov is taking advantage by using new typefaces throughout the site.
CSS3
We’re using CSS3 to create the most immersive experience possible for Rhode Islanders visiting using modern browsers. These improvements, while subtle, add up to a more immersive experience that make browsing the site more engaging.
ARIA Roles
ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Application) Roles is an emerging semantic standard for creating better richness in our code. In plain english, by adding new tags to our HTML, we’re able to better serve visitors using assistive technologies, such as screen readers for Rhode Islanders with vision impairment.
Microformats
Microformats embed useful information about our pages into the code. Working behind the scenes, this helps make RI.gov more machine-friendly for search engines, browsers and new technologies emerging to take better advantage of standard content types. To learn more, please visit: microformats.org.
508 Accessibility
Design changes come and go, but our commitment to accessibility never waivers. Since 2001 RI.gov has adhered to Federal Section 508 accessibility guidelines. To learn more, read our accessibility policy.