Zen and the Art of Wearable Markup
As a full stack developer with a PHP background, I’ve always appreciated clean architecture, separation of concerns, and code that gracefully adapts to change. So when the debate around whether wearables should support HTML, CSS, and JavaScript—or rely solely on native apps—resurfaced, it hit close to home.
This isn’t just about smartwatch apps. It’s about a broader question we’ve faced before: Do we build for proprietary platforms first, or do we trust in the open web and progressive enhancement?
From iPhone to Apple Watch: A Familiar Pattern
Let’s go back to 2007. When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone, it shipped without an App Store. The original plan was simple: web apps via Safari. HTML and CSS were your tools, and JavaScript added interactivity.
By 2010, with the launch of the App Store and Jobs’ famous “Thoughts on Flash” letter, Apple had pivoted hard toward native applications—ironically, while still championing the “open web.”
Now in 2025, as we build for wearables, we’re watching a similar story play out again. The current default is native-first. But is that sustainable—or even ideal?
Progressive Enhancement: The Quiet Power Player
One of the core principles I’ve always leaned on in my work—especially in hybrid stacks that combine PHP backends with JS frontends—is progressive enhancement. It’s not a trend. It’s a mindset.
Progressive enhancement means:
- Starting with semantic HTML so every device (yes, even a smartwatch) gets the content.
- Adding CSS for design, when supported.
- Layering JavaScript for interactivity, where appropriate.
- Designing for capabilities, not assumptions.
This is how we’ve built for screen readers, game consoles, feature phones, and embedded devices—and it’s how we should be thinking about wearables.
If your web app can run in Lynx, there’s a good chance you’re on the right path.
Wearables and the Open Web: Not a Contradiction
Some argue—as John Gruber has—that HTML/CSS/JS doesn’t belong on the wrist. But wearables already have rendering engines. Developers like Matt Griffin have demonstrated how content can be presented legibly and usefully on tiny screens. It’s not a pipe dream. It’s a design challenge.
The key is not building “watch versions” of bloated desktop sites. It’s building content-first, progressively enhanced experiences—something we’ve known how to do for decades.
Future-Friendliness Is Just Good Architecture
The Future-Friendly Manifesto nailed this before watches even had decent screens. It encouraged us to:
- Acknowledge and embrace unpredictability.
- Think and behave in a future-friendly way.
- Help others do the same.
If that sounds like “just be future-friendly,” you’re not wrong. But what it really means for developers is:
- Use structured, semantic markup.
- Enhance progressively.
- Test across devices—from smartwatches to old browsers.
- Focus on capabilities, not device categories.
As someone who’s built responsive web apps, APIs, and cross-device platforms using PHP, I can tell you: this isn’t just “best practice.” It’s the only sane way to build in an unpredictable ecosystem.
This Is the Web’s Moment—Again
Wearables are not outside the web—they’re part of the web’s next frontier. The same philosophy that made the web great—resilience, openness, accessibility—can make it thrive on new platforms.
Sure, proprietary tools will dominate early. They always do. But standards catch up. Developers get tired of retooling every six months. And users want consistency.
Progressive enhancement isn’t nostalgia. It’s forward-thinking design. It’s about starting from solid ground and building up—exactly how we build good software.
