AIDS.gov Redesigned Using Responsive Design

We here at HIV.gov are proud to formally announce that our site has been relaunched and redesigned using responsive design.

Responsive web design is a next-generation web development method of designing content so that it works well on both a laptop screen and a smartphone, automatically adjusting its size to fit the screen.

Since smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs and video game consoles all have different content display capabilities, use of responsive web design ensures that a site’s content is equally accessible via all devices without adding the extra cost of designing and maintaining separate “standard” and “mobile” sites.

HIV.gov is among the first full-scale federal websites launched using responsive design, one of the modern tools and technologies that the Obama Administration’s new Digital Government Strategy instructs federal agencies to use in order to deliver better digital services to any device, anytime, anywhere.

“With so many Americans accessing the Internet via mobile devices, federal agencies are beginning to adapt to better meet the public’s information needs,” said Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH, HHS assistant secretary for health. “Redesigning HIV.gov using responsive web design ensures that more Americans can easily access critical information about HIV/AIDS, including the latest news on the government’s efforts to usher in an AIDS-Free generation.”

HIV.gov is an important health resource, offering information about federal HIV/AIDS resources, policies, and programs and helping users understand how to use emerging technologies and new media to extend the reach of HIV/AIDS programs.

Since our initial launch in 2006, we have continued to update our design and content to keep pace with emerging needs. In April 2012, we introduced a more flexible way to access the information found in our HIV/AIDS Service Provider Locator, using an API, or application programming interface. This allows individuals and providers to enter a ZIP code and find federally-funded HIV testing and care-related services within a selected mile radius. This is just one of the many ways we have evolved to meet the needs of HIV.gov visitors.

Read more about our new responsive design in this blog post by HIV.gov Technology Deputy Jeremy Vanderlan.