UI Trends: Center Column Squeezing

We've just opened our desktop browser to full screen and clicked on a link to one of the sites below. Our browser zoom is 100%.

• Dev.To,
• FaceBook
• LinkedIn,
• Git Api Docs

The important column; which is either column (two or three) in a four column layout is squeezed as shown below.

High Resolution and Wide Monitors show this:

Here's a random 'current' API doc on Git. In this one, the left hand menu item is not resizable.

Facebook

LinkedIn
Probably the most wasted space of all.

Good Examples

• StackOverFlow

Passable but just barely.

• Google Developer Docs

At first, it looks like too much space, but a browser resize will collapse both asides and just show important stuff, like this. Great example of responsive focusing on 'important stuff'.

• Amazon At it for over 15 years now.

• Azure

Microsoft wakes up, in their new designs.

• .NET Core
  

• Gmail

KISS (Keep it stupid simple)

• MDN KISS

Note: I don't claim to be an expert stylist; however, as a programmer; I read tons of material daily. I am a smart user of programming information. If I have to fuss with it too much to read it better, I'm apt to quit using that site altogether.

Sites I've quit over the years:

• Any Medium site
• Most sites that are not updated often.
• Secondary sites that do not have the Subject Matter Expertise I require.
• Any API or Training site which hides a table of content. This forces continual searches.
• Any site who has a built-in search that doesn't work well.

Smart Users know their stuff, as developers we owe a good experience to them.

Take Away

• The mobile first philosophy is good, but don't forget wide screen and high res desktop monitors
• Responsive sites, should always favor the stuff our users are there to read.
• Collapse asides when resizing width and focus only on the center column.
• Get rid of outdated layout styles and favor fully responsive sites that adapt to any width and resolution.
• Continuously improve.