The web should look simpler
For years we've been designing the frame around the content first. We've been filling this frame, the white-space around the content, with links that will help the visitor to get away. Our focus was primarily on the frame, on the widgets, the header, the navigation, the asides, the footers. The little space that was left in the middle received the east attention. There are many reasons for this way of designing things, like our fear for The Fold, the marketing idea that people should stay on your site, and the fact that most content was shitty anyways. Better make sure that the links that get us away from this crap look inviting. The fact that we assumed all screens had a similar size played a role too.
Rococo
These rococo frames didn't fit on small screens. And our content got better. We found out that people actually care about what's inside the frame, not what's on the frame. Instead of squeezing the content into the leftover space, we now start with *giving form* to the content, as the Dutch say. Since our content is valuable now, and since it looks good we don't need a distracting frame anymore. Small screens definitely helped us in this switch of focus.
Car wrecks
Now we have good content and many, many different screen sizes. First we tried to shrink our desktop sites into small screens, which often resulted in beautiful but less functional objects, like the sculptures of John Chamberlain. We soon understood growing is much easier than shrinking, so we started designing for a small screen first. But somehow on a big screen there was always room for a big logo, a big navigation and widgets.
Patterns that work on small screens work on bigger screens too. I haven't seen a classic header on recent websites anymore. And that's a good thing. Sites look simpler. There is more focus. But it's not just small screens that cause this.
Slow down
Computers and internet connections used to get faster every year. This was true as long as we wanted to use the web at home and at work. As soon as we wanted to use it while we are on the road, in trains, in our hotel room, in a café, this was not true anymore. We now use small computers that are half as fast as the desktop computers we used five years ago, with terrible network connections, and we use them all the time, everywhere. And sure, some small computers get faster too, but at the same time they get cheaper. You can now buy a phone with a good browser, but with crappy hardware for 50 euro. This will not change in the near future.
This all should result in simpler sites. Simpler means less computing power. Simpler means less assets to download. And most of all, simpler means more focus on what our visitors are here for.