Posts Tagged ‘responsive web design’

Is Responsive Web Design Really Necessary?

Published on Tuesday, 05 March 2013 21:59

Matt Holandez

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If you work in the web design industry then you probably have heard a new term recently. It’s called responsive web design and to be quite honest, this sounds like it is going to become a staple in the industry. “I think it’s a must have now,” says Josh Paschall, Lead Web Designer for Spotya! Media. “You just have to move with the times.”

In the past, you had to create different versions of your website for separate devices. You would have to create a design to fit to a mobile device–and not just one kind of device, either. You would have to make a site that worked with the Blackberry, the Androids, one that worked with the iPhone, and let’s not forget the netbooks and iPads. Responsive web design allows the website to adapt to any screen that it’s being displayed on.

How Does Responsive Web Design Stack Up?

In 2012, smartphone web browsing use shot up 55%, and the number will only increase. Based on this statistic, responsive web design is the present and the future. Through an attractive blend of fluid images and grids, with a dash of smart markup here and there, you have a masterpiece of a website that will fit and can be viewed to any device. A prime example would be this website for a strawberry farm in Temecula valley that we have created in house at Spotya! Media headquarters. If you look at the site on a mobile phone, you will see all of the elements stay on the screen, only they will stack differently. (You can even switch your smartphone view from portrait to landscape and watch the content adapt.)

From the consumer’s point of view, when looking at a website on any device, missing content could very well cost you a sale. So as web designers and developers, it’s always best practice to double check and make sure your website works on every device. If you follow this practice, then responsible web design may not save you any time as far as design goes, but you can feel proud of the work that you completed when presenting it to your client. We have used this when we designed for several clients in Temecula and the surrounding area and they all love it!

Regardless of what type of device your customers have, you can be sure they won’t be dealing with any partial content, especially on the mobile versions of your website. Now visitors will be able to view all of the content you have to offer. Judging by the growth of technology over the past 5 years, it’s safe to say that over the next 5 to 10 years, we will be designing for a greater amount of devices. Thank goodness for responsive web design, huh?

Matt Holandez

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