“Which browsers and devices do you support?”
It’s one of the most common questions we hear from clients, and it’s completely understandable. You need to know your website will work for your audience. But the question itself is rooted in an outdated way of thinking about web development.
The traditional answer would be a list – “Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+, Edge 91+”. Unfortunately, any list is likely to be obsolete before the ‘ink dries’. Browser versions update constantly, new devices appear regularly, and that carefully crafted list becomes a maintenance headache that doesn’t actually tell you whether your users will be able to access your content.
We take a different approach. We don’t support browsers. We support features.
Access for all
Our philosophy rests on two non-negotiable principles.
Universal access comes first
Every visitor to your website should be able to access core content and functionality, regardless of which browser they’re using, how old their device is, or what assistive technology they rely on.
This isn’t just good practice – it’s fundamental to what the web is supposed to be.
Diversity is natural, not a problem
Your website will look and behave differently across browsers and devices, and that’s perfectly fine. In fact, it’s healthy.
The web was designed to be flexible and adaptable. Trying to make every browser render your site identically is like trying to make every TV display a film in the same way – it fights against the medium’s inherent nature and costs far more than it’s worth.
A standardised approach
The challenge with feature-based support has always been knowing which features are safe to use. That’s where the Baseline initiative comes in – a collaborative effort from Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Mozilla to create a shared understanding of web platform features.
Baseline categorises features into two clear groups.
- Widely available features
These have been supported across all major browsers for at least 30 months. These form the bedrock of our development work. When we build your site, we know these features will work reliably for the vast majority of your audience.
- Newly available features
New features that have landed in the latest versions of major browsers but haven’t yet reached that 30-month milestone are perfect candidates for progressive enhancement – adding extra polish and functionality for users with more capable browsers without compromising the experience for anyone else.
This standardised approach gives us a solid, shared vocabulary. We’re not making subjective judgements about browser support; we’re working with clearly defined, industry-wide standards that evolve as the web itself evolves.
Building for the future
Progressive enhancement sounds technical, but the concept is straightforward. Start with a solid foundation that works everywhere, then layer on improvements for browsers that can handle them.
Think of it like designing a building. Everyone needs to be able to enter through the door and use the stairs (universal access). If the building also has a lift, that’s brilliant for people who need or prefer it, but the stairs still work for everyone else. The lift is a progressive enhancement.
When we use newly available features, we do so carefully. We test that the core experience remains functional when those features aren’t supported. Your site might have a beautifully smooth animation in the latest Chrome, but a clean instant transition in an older browser – and that’s absolutely fine. Both users get where they need to go.
Support vs optimisation
This is crucial, so let’s be clear about what we mean.
Support means functionality
We guarantee that your website’s core features will work for everyone. Users can read your content, navigate your site, complete forms, make purchases – whatever your site needs to do, it will do it.
Optimisation means perfection
And we don’t optimise for specific browsers. Here’s why: optimising for particular browsers creates brittle websites that age poorly. Remember all those sites that only worked properly in Internet Explorer 6? That’s the legacy of browser-specific optimisation.
Instead, we optimise for web standards and build resilient experiences that adapt to whatever browsers your users choose. This future-proofs your investment and ensures your website remains functional as browsers evolve.
Our commitment to building better
The web is for everyone. That’s not a slogan – it’s the architectural principle that makes the internet work.
Our approach to browser and device support reflects this reality. We build websites that prioritise accessibility and inclusivity, that work with the grain of the web rather than against it, and that remain functional and valuable as technology moves forward.
We don’t chase browser versions. We don’t create arbitrary lists that need constant updating. We build on solid standards, use progressive enhancement intelligently, and ensure that everyone – regardless of their browser, device, or capabilities – can access your content.
This is modern web development done properly. This is how we build for the web as it actually exists, not as we might wish it to be.
If you want to discuss your next web project with a team who look beyond the obvious, get in touch.
