How to Design a Mobile Responsive Website

To build a mobile site or not to build a mobile site; this is a question at the forefront of many a discussion. There is, however, another option: responsive web design. When, why, and how should you go about designing a responsive website? With mobile internet users set to surpass desktop internet users in the US by 2015, with tablets becoming more popular, and even with TV internet usage increasing, it’s important for companies to provide a great user experience for all their visitors no matter what device they’re on. Why should you design a responsive site? There are many options to consider when a client asks for a mobile solution for their website, and the suitability of these options depend on the business requirements and budget; it’s also important to consider any existing solutions or sites they already have. So why would you decide to create a website this way? You’re starting from scratch Developing a whole new website or web application is a challenging process. The process

9 responsive design mistakes you don't want to make As explained in UX Design Trends 2015 & 2016, responsive Web design has become the industry’s recommend approach for supporting multiple screen sizes and devices. But not all responsive sites are created equally. So. Some of the biggest names in tech are coming to TNW Conference in Amsterdam this May. Photo credit: PlasmaComp Whether you’re designing a small company website or reworking an ecommerce platform, let’s explore some mistakes you definitely want to avoid on your next responsive Web design project. Focusing on Devices Instead of Screens According to data provided by OpenSignal, there are now 24,093 distinct Android devices on the market, up from 18,796 just last year (and this isn’t even counting iOS and other devices). Photo credit: Luke Wrobelwski. Move away from popular device classifications such as: WearablesPhonesTabletsDesktops Instead, you should design for screen sizes, including Micro-screensSmall screensMid-rangeLargeExtra-large Photo credit: Stephanie Walter.

The 14 Best Examples of Responsive Design There’s a reason responsive web design (RWD) is the bee’s knees right now. It epitomizes everything that is UX— from easy-to-use navigation, simplistic and useful design, adaptive orientation and resolution, to lightning fast loading speeds. Using flexible grids and layouts, smart CSS and flat-out intuition, RWD responds to users’ needs in every way possible. It’s a UX design element that is incredibly broad-reaching and encompasses a variety of different types of websites among many different industries. Check out our showcase of excellent retail, music, editorial, tech and inspiration sites. More Hazards More hazards removes any anti-mobile hazards by keeping its mobile version pretty minimal. Bonobos On mobile, Bonobos simplifies navigation to a simple hamburger menu icon on the left and a shopping cart on the right. Sasquatch Festival Who doesn’t love a sasquatch? Skinny Ties The Paint Drop Valspar’s The Paint Drop artfully demonstrates just how well they know color. OH MAN, PUPPEHS! 13.

Important Considerations for RWD Design Performance & UX As you know, UX is not a new discipline. But given the rise of responsive design, mobile design, and adaptive design in past years, the question of compromising between performance and experience still seeks a clear answer. In this piece, we’ll dive into some of the important criteria for responsive performance and the overall mobile experience. A mobile-only site renders faster, but costs more to develop and maintain. To further complicate things, a fast site that renders correctly and creates a good experience will be the one that’s ranked better. So what are some important considerations to keep in mind when designing for mobile? Performance Performance is one of the biggest problems that many sites experience. Not only does it affect SEO, but it also impacts traffic, usability and ultimately, conversions. After all, like we stated in Interaction Design Best Practices, digital time and real time are not the same. Photo credit: KISSMetrics Photo credits: KISSMetrics Responsive Web Design