Today I was wondering if the new trend in web development will involve designing for mobile first. It makes sense on many levels.
A mobile focus means your "app" or "site" will be available on devices fairly quickly. If the viral effect is happening on devices more than desktops and laptops, a mobile-first approach would offer a serious advantage.
Focusing on mobile keeps scope in check until the overall vision is complete. Instead of falling in love with the big picture, as many clients (understandably) do, the consolidated, concise vision that emerges from a mobile focus could help people adopt it quickly.
Mobile design isn't that far removed from designs Flash developers have been cranking out for years. We've been creating sites that scroll, move, shift from screen to screen, just like modern-day mobile applications. Remember Joshua Davis' sliding UI for Barneys? Tell me mobile designers and user experience experts didn't get inspiration from that! I've been creating experiences that animate from screen to screen since I saw Barneys, and many of the implementations have been dynamic. This makes me feel comfortable with the mobile user experience from the design perspective. It's an extension of what we already know.
Mobile prototypes are infinitely easier to crank out. The navigation is understood. The limited screen space is accepted, allowing designers to innovate new ways of displaying content.
I encourage folks to look seriously at this approach as they move forward with new web development projects. At this point it's just a feeling, a theory, but I'm pretty sure this is a good, profitable methodology.
A mobile focus means your "app" or "site" will be available on devices fairly quickly. If the viral effect is happening on devices more than desktops and laptops, a mobile-first approach would offer a serious advantage.
Focusing on mobile keeps scope in check until the overall vision is complete. Instead of falling in love with the big picture, as many clients (understandably) do, the consolidated, concise vision that emerges from a mobile focus could help people adopt it quickly.
Mobile design isn't that far removed from designs Flash developers have been cranking out for years. We've been creating sites that scroll, move, shift from screen to screen, just like modern-day mobile applications. Remember Joshua Davis' sliding UI for Barneys? Tell me mobile designers and user experience experts didn't get inspiration from that! I've been creating experiences that animate from screen to screen since I saw Barneys, and many of the implementations have been dynamic. This makes me feel comfortable with the mobile user experience from the design perspective. It's an extension of what we already know.
Mobile prototypes are infinitely easier to crank out. The navigation is understood. The limited screen space is accepted, allowing designers to innovate new ways of displaying content.
I encourage folks to look seriously at this approach as they move forward with new web development projects. At this point it's just a feeling, a theory, but I'm pretty sure this is a good, profitable methodology.
