Responsive Web Design Techniques
Responsive web design technique enables a single layout to fit in multiple devices with different sizes and aspect ratios. To implement the process, certain approaches work well than the others. Not every responsive design process works in the same manner, but the ones that adopt the following guidelines are much more likely to work flawlessly.
PLAN CONTENT BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION.
This is equally true for any project, but it’s particularly important for responsive websites. Before wire framing, we must know what types of content will be used to communicate them. We need to decide the priority level of the each element as well. When constructing pages, the content should be treated like building blocks, rather than the concrete mix that poured into a pre-built mold.
GO MOBILE.
Mobile-friendly design doesn’t mean that every responsive site needs to maintain a single column of text. Rather, it means considering the most constrained situation during the design process. Addressing those limitations first helps to take important decisions about priorities of the content order and the relationships that connect each element in the design. The best practice is to start with a basic mobile layout, adding additional elements as screen space get larger. Fitting a spacious design onto a tiny touch screen environment compromises the intended communication.
DESIGN COMPONENTS, NOT PAGES.
It is wise to identify the shared visual components that are used throughout the pages, then determine how those components should behave in different contexts. This compartmental approach can help separate the systematic task of building responsive layouts from the random testing and adjustment needed for each reusable component. A Grid template can help extensively in this type of situation.
WORKING WIREFRAMES.
Napkins and PDFs are great for rough concept sketches, but once a responsive design gets serious, nothing beats HTML and CSS. Viewing the wireframes on several devices, rather than flipping through separate wireframes for each breakpoint, helps stakeholders envision how the design will work in the real world. It also helps keep a design team honest, ensuring that the ideas they come up with will really work in a browser.
Responsive Web Design Challenges
Responsive Design is a major tool in our arsenal, as many other techniques are. However, it’s not a cure-all for every problem pertaining to the presentation of the digital content. Before starting a responsive website, it’s important to keep some limitations in mind.
BUILDING A BIG SCREEN-ONLY SITE IS CHEAPER…TEMPORARILY.
If you design around a single screen size, it would always take less time than one that meant for multiple sizes. In some scenario, developers can produce a low cost stripped down mobile version. The scale of economy makes the most sense when additional screen sizes enter the scenario. It also pays off when desktop and mobile sites must offer equal & similar functionality.
ONE SITES FOR EVERY DEVICE? THINK AGAIN
Some design that accommodates multiple displays and resolutions can’t tackle extreme variations in layout and content in changing environments. Some design choices such as mouseover effects or swipe don’t work on every device. However, few clients have the resources to built custom experiences for every display size and device type. In addition, research suggests that web surfers prefer consistency across devices.
SPEED AND MOBILE-FRIENDLINESS ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
Responsive design provides visual and benefits to mobile users, but it still needs a lot of planning and work to ensure that the site loads fast. A bad responsive site can slow down low-bandwidth mobile users with high resolution images, auto-play video intros, and ill-coded Javascript. Techniques like conditional loading of media based on bandwidth environment, and setting a clear performance benchmark are critical to ensure a fast and flexible web browsing experience across various devices.
INTEGRATING ADS REQUIRES STRATEGIES
responsive design can complicate matters for sites that rely on ad revenue. Although ads can be scaled up and down, or placed around the page as the layout changes under different screen sizes, their aesthetic and ergonomic impact can be tougher to predict without thorough research and testing. Users might accept the density of advertisements on some desktop sites, but not on a small screen. Also, advertisers who usually pay a high premium for specific spots on the page may need some explanation to understand the concept of adaptability in a responsive layout.
APP ARGUMENT IS IRRELEVANT
Web apps versus native apps is indeed a separate issue. These days, native mobile apps use responsive design principles as often as web sites. For example, the average Android app needs to fit in hundreds of different display sizes and resolutions. Whether client requires a mobile app shouldn’t change the importance of technique that their web site uses to handle multiple devices and screen-size.
