‘Responsive’ websites seems to be the buzzword shouted around the place at the moment. With many website reaching their life cycles in terms of look and functionality should this form of web design be considered?
Firstly, what is responsive design?
In a responsive design, the website responds to the size of the device by simply reorganizing the layout of its content. For instance, the site has three columns on a desktop, but a single column on mobile.
‘So what’ you may exclaim. Is this important? Well...yes.
The idea that the mobile web is a trend or something to tackle later is wrong.
6/10 UK residents owned a smartphone in January 2013; with more mobile phones than there are citizens in the UK, there's no wonder that having a 'mobile happy' website is something talked about a lot. Having a mobile strategy in place with a new website build is very important.
Let’s see a responsive site in action. If you are viewing this article on a desktop or laptop computer then simply resize the browser window. Resize it into a small rectangle, as a mobile screen would look, and then resize to the approximate size of a tablet. Notice now how the content re-arranges to suit your new view port? If you are viewing on a mobile then you may already noticed how easy it is to read this article!
See how one design can be used across many devices? Think about all the different mobile and tablet screen sizes out there as well as different sized computers and television screens. The web is ubiquitous and is viewed across al these landscapes. Your website can now be viewed optimally everywhere.
You should definitely consider a responsive website design. It is cost effective as the design process is done one time. We suggest working backwards and start designing for the smallest screen and then working your way up. This way, your website’s content is best suited for each experience.
This is where a responsive design can be cost effective.You generally only need to build your site once and it able to cater for a variety of different and changing screen sizes.
With any case, you have worked hard to create a positive brand experience. Your objective is to engage your consumers with relevant content in context to with the device they are using, and by allowing them to avoid any stresses, in turn you can help them have rewarding experiences.
People are bombarded with an overload of information. Makes sure yours cuts through and is remembered!