Introduction · Why the client got heavy

Its role in modern apps-style app

Illustrative system design for a why the client got heavy app like Its role in modern apps: 3 topics to read, from requirements to deep dives.

Illustrative design, not Its role in modern apps’s actual implementation. Arrowbox is not affiliated with Its role in modern apps’s owner. Disclaimer

Core

What moved into the browserBeginner · 28 min read · Sign in to read
Page by page, work that used to happen on the server (routing, templating, caching, validation, even writes while offline) moved into the browser, and that is why the client now needs a design of its own.
Same app, different prioritiesBeginner · 30 min read · Sign in to read
Which qualities lead depends on the surface: a listing page lives on search engines and first paint, chat on delivery and order, an editor on input latency and never losing work; name the top two before designing.
What a heavy client costsIntermediate · 38 min read · Sign in to read
Every responsibility moved to the browser is paid for on the user's device: bytes to download, script to parse and run on a slower phone, and main-thread time that delays the next tap.