Not being a web developer myself, I was late to notice just how much Internet Explorers market share has decreased in the last year or so. Working with web developers, I’ve always been informed about the strains and frustrations caused by having to IE proof a web page design. Coming from a graphic design background, for me it was about making sure that the designs looked the same across different browsers. Having moved into web then UX, the importance shifted to making sure the page behaves in the correct way.

Cross browser compatibility was notorious for kicking up random errors, where something works in one browser, and doesn’t in another. From the point of view of the user, they don’t know that the button, or the page is meant to function in a certain way, and won’t know that the page isn’t just broken, but it’s down to the browser they are using.

Thankfully, with more modern browsers it is “easier” for a web developer to create the same experience across multiple browsers. That keeps the designer happy, the client happy, and most importantly, improves the user experience.

Browser usage by country, December 2013

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Internet Explorer – 23.24%
Chrome – 43.92%
Firefox – 18.95%
Safari – 9.14%
Opera – 1.94%
Mobile – 23.41%

© Wikipedia

Green – Chrome
Blue – IE
Orange – Firefox
Grey – Safari

Internet Explorer’s market share has declined quite considerably over the last year with Chrome surpassing it in nearly all countries and continents.