What is the right User Research for you?
As businesses realize the importance to drive a consistent UX strategy, they are looking to go beyond.
The ever-evolving and innovative industry of web design has come a long way, especially post-covid times. Today people are glued to screens like never before - to learn, network, build, or simply to stay connected. As the devices and screen sizes evolved, so were the designers’ philosophy and approach to sketching a web page for better usability.
It started with designing a user interface for a desktop while mobiles were still finding their feet. Until tablets were the choice of many. But today, if we go by the stats, more people are accessing the internet through their mobile phones than anywhere else. It doesn’t take much time for brands to conclude that in order to give a better user experience to their target group, it is pivotal to build an exceptional mobile interface.
But, does that mean brands should build their websites or apps – Mobile-Friendly? Or Mobile-First? Similar sounding terms, but one of them holds the secret to the most effective design strategy today, which is being followed by many designers worldwide. No prize for guessing; it’s the Mobile-First design approach.
A mobile-friendly web design is a design that is made primarily for the desktop or bigger-sized screen and then sized down to make it tablet and mobile-friendly. Although the mobile-friendly approach makes the websites accessible on any internet-enabled smartphone, the experience it gives to the user was originally made for someone using a desktop. A mobile-first design, on the other hand, is a design that is principally focused on the mobile screen only. From there, it is built for upper-sized screens.
To understand the Mobile-First design in detail, let’s start with web page designers’ philosophy.
Mobile-first design is a design approach having a user experience at the centre of its creation, so it initiates the design process for mobile devices first, giving priority to smallest screen.
Out of three main principles of web design, namely Responsive Web Design (RWD), Progressive Advancement, and Graceful Degradation, the mobile-first design strategy is a part of progressive advancement. This design-making process, as stated earlier, progresses from mobile screen outlay to bigger screens later. Through this approach, a designer sketches the best layout for users by prioritizing all essential aspects that can fit into a small mobile screen.
There is no denying that mobile users are outgrowing in numbers. It is touted that more than 70% of people worldwide will have access to the internet on their phones by 2025. It goes without saying that brands can build their trust and consumer base by providing a better user experience on mobile devices.
In addition, below are 5 main reasons that backs Mobile-First design strategy in 2022
It is quite clear that there is an incremental need for mobile-friendly websites that not only get the eyeballs and traffic, but also give a great opportunity for brands to provide an enhanced user experience. No wonder the designers across the globe are relying heavily on a mobile-first design strategy.