Way back in the day, developers and designers created websites for the desktop only. We knew the real estate and the layout of the space, and it was very much like designing for print. Life was easy.
Then, mobile devices, like smart phones and tablets, came on the scene and changed the way we approached the design and development process. We had to consider the limited space on the smaller screens and the different functionality of a mobile site. With growing numbers in mobile device users, we started putting more importance on mobile sites rather than the desktop. In fact, Luke Wroblewski coined the development philosophy Mobile First, which emphasizes mobile’s importance and pushes developers and designers to create the mobile site first and build on that site for desktop.
In February 2012, Google CEO Eric Schmidt voiced his theory that the world is going mobile: “We understand that the new rule is mobile first. Mobile first in everything. Mobile in terms of applications. Mobile first in terms of the way people use things. And it means…that we have a role now to inform, to educate through these devices” (PCmag.com).
With Schmidt’s endorsement of mobile technology, the already growing movement to push for mobile website design was moved with even faster growth.
Fortunately for our clients, I don’t subscribe to that theory. Designing Mobile First means more work, time, and money for more website because you’re essentially designing two websites: one for mobile and one for desktop. And it minimizes the importance of your desktop site.
Responsive Design, the design and development of one website, provides the best possible product for all devices. All of the content and functionality change as the screen changes so that you have one stellar site that works well and adapts on any size device. Not only does this make sense from a development standpoint, it also creates design consistency that is sometimes lost with Mobile First.
With this philosophy in mind, I craft websites that are fluid. Jeffrey Veen, VP of Products for Adobe and author of HotWired Style and The Art of Science of Web Design supports this methodology: “Day by day, the number of devices, platforms, and browsers that need to work with your site grows. Responsive web design represents a fundamental shift in how we’ll build websites for the decade to come.”
When designing a website, I am not designing Mobile First or Desktop First. I think of them as one page and design both concurrently as to not forget either user. That is why I always use screens of varying sizes and devices during the design process, so I know I am putting our client’s best foot forward in the most efficient way.