The history of the web browser

History of the web browser
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The history of the web browser is crucial to answering questions about modern web design. In this article, we'll explore the answer to the question: can you design websites as resilient as the world wide web itself? We dive into the history of the world wide web to find out.

Amazingly, you can browse websites made today in a browser that was made three decades ago. There won't be any styling. There won't be any scripting. Neither CSS nor JavaScript existed at the birth of the web, and they certainly didn't use the best web design tools around today. But if a website has been built in a robust way (perhaps by using a top website builder), it will still make sense even when viewed in an ancient web browser.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Keith lives in Brighton. He is one of the founders of the splendid design agency Clearleft. He has written various books, including HTML5 For Web Designers and, most recently, Going Offline.

Latest in Web Browsers & Extensions
Arc web browser
This radical internet browser lets you remix any website
The Internet Explorer logo on a gravestone
Farewell, Internet Explorer
The Apple Safari logo on a gradient background.
This essential extension fixes Safari 15's biggest design flaw
Future of web browser
What's next for the web browser?
History of the web browser
The history of the web browser
CSS art
CSS art gets brilliantly ruined by old browsers
Latest in Features
Stanley 'Artgerm' Lau; a vibrant, dynamic illustration showcases Spider-Gwen in a dynamic action pose amidst a cityscape, radiating a sense of energy and playful confidence
"Art is not easy. You have to suffer in joy" – Stanley 'Artgerm' Lau reflects on what it takes to succeed in comic art
Your House indie game art interview; A stylised illustration depicts a young woman seated, seemingly contemplative, in a setting that combines elements of a comic book panel and a vintage aesthetic
"This is a game you can read, or a book you can play” – solving the visual design of Your House, a detective game crossed with a Daniel Clowes comic
AI generated images of a male creative director and a female parent
AI's gender bias is even worse than reality
Augustinas Paukšte waving out of a window
"I tried to be a human orchestra": a day in the life of creative director Augustinas Paukšte
Lady Phyll
"She embodies strength, resilience, and pride": Ron Timehin on photographing LGBTQ+ icon Lady Phyll
Atomfall hands-on; various scenes from a video game set in a 1950s England after the apocalypse
"We wanted it to feel big" – playing Atomfall from an art director’s perspective