What is mobile-first web design, and what are the best practices? Read this guide to learn how it works and the benefits of focusing on phones and tablets.
Did you know that students spend over 4 hours on their smartphones each day? The length of time people spend on their smartphones is getting longer and longer.
This is one major reason why it’s time to design websites in a new way. Instead of starting with designs that are suited to a desktop, you can start with mobile designs before anything else. That way, you can more effectively engage with the many people who spend a sizeable chunk of their days on their smartphones.
Are you wondering what it involves? Keep reading so I can tell you all about how mobile-first design works.
What Does Mobile-First Design Entail?
As you could tell from the name of this strategy, mobile-first web design puts the mobile aspects of the site before everything else.
This doesn’t mean the site can’t be accessed by desktops and iPads, for instance. Instead, developers can expand the design of the site outward to accommodate these other formats rather than the other way around.
It Gives You a Clean Slate
The main reason this mobile-friendly strategy works so well is that developers aren’t forced to fit a square peg in a round hole. By already having a site that’s created for desktops, a developer has to work with a significant amount of constrictions. It’s no wonder that so many sites don’t look right or even function properly once they’ve been optimized after the fact.
By starting with mobile before anything else, developers have a clean slate to do all the work correctly.
What Elements Are Involved?
If you’re serious about this strategy, then it’s crucial to place yourself in the minds of potential users. Think about how they use a website while they’re on a phone and the types of features they look for.
The rule of thumb you should always keep in mind is that less is more. By keeping things simple, you can avoid going overboard with an excess of unneeded design features.
Be sure to spend a fair amount of time considering the visual hierarchy of the site. Since the screen is smaller than, say, a laptop, you can’t have many elements appearing at first glance. Instead, scrolling and clicking on links and tabs will be necessary.
Don’t forget about mobile-first indexing either.
Are You Ready to Master Mobile-First Design?
Now that you’ve learned all about how mobile-first design works, you can have a sleek website that looks amazing on every smartphone. Your visitors will certainly appreciate the effort you’ve put into the look and functions of the site.
If you’re stumped about mobile web design, you should let me help. Not only can I provide you with a website design customized to fit your brand, but I also excel in SEO, logo design, digital illustration, and so much more.
Feel free to reach out to me for more information. I can’t wait to work for you and expand your brand.
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Tony Cowan is a 30 year graphic design veteran who has a vast array of experience in print, web and illustration. His knowledge has extended into digital marketing and strategy in recent years and utilises these skills to deliver successful outcomes for his clients.