In 2013, Website Magazine reported responsive design as one of the hottest Web trends. Today, designers no longer see responsive design as a popular fad–it has become a mainstay for successful blogs. So much so, that you might not even remember a time before responsive design.
With that in mind, here is a primer on responsive design, and how you can use it correctly. There is a big difference between the screen sizes on a desktop, tablet and mobile device and if your website has the same layout for all, it requires a lot of zooming in and out in order to browse. However, responsive websites react to the specific screen size the page is being viewed on; so it “responds” to the user’s platform specifications and enhances their experience.
Responsive design has become ubiquitous for good reason. It gives you the benefit of having one website instead of a desktop and mobile version of your site. It is extremely helpful because it modifies the websites for tablets as well, which are in between the sizes of phones and computers. Although responsive design has become ubiquitous, you still need to consider whether it is the best option for your website. You also need to consider the visual layout of the site from each platform perspective, and how they correlate with each other.
“Responsive design comes in different grades, and their effectiveness is usually measured by their thoughtfulness in usability,” commented Chris Lo, President & CEO of Matcha Design. “In the core, responsive design is a great method for business owners to communicate more effectively to their audience, thus increasing the ROI (return of investment).”
Responsive design allows you to accommodate the on-the-go behavior of our culture. Users desire a consistent online experience each time they browse the web. They want to be able to browse websites from their home laptop or from their tablet at the office, with the same ease and functionality.
Responsive design is best for websites that are streamlined and simple. Larger, more complex websites are more difficult to use with responsive design because they require an extensive strategic development approach to design. Designers hoping to use responsive design with large sites will need to determine what information should be included on different devices and how to display it effectively. If you have a complicated website that cannot be simplified into responsive design, at minimum be sure your website is cross-platform compatible and viewable on all devices.
Let us know if you have any questions about if responsive design fits into your website strategy, or if your current website is compatible with tablet and mobile devices.
