Designing for Mobile Users

Chad Argo – Phoenix, AZ
123Triad: Web Design & SEO Company

Designing for Mobile Users

Web innovations and advanced gadgetry have given rise to a new generation of Web users known as “road warriors.” Road warriors are those who are always on the go, always in touch, and decide when and how to get their information. But usually, they’re more easily recognized by their mobile tools: laptops, PDAs. Blackberrys, you name it.

Naturally, web design has had to adapt its strategies to suit these kinds of users. Think about it: you wouldn’t browse the web as liberally as you would on your desktop. As a web designer, it’s your job to work these limitations into your design.

The first and most important factor in mobile web design is the change in screen settings. It’s not just about adjusting the size; it’s also about orientation and display resolution. Some mobile devices have a vertical orientation, and while some don’t mind scrolling sideways, it can greatly affect the user’s web experience. Many people wouldn’t bother to scroll at all and just look for another site.

Also, since screens are smaller, you may have to adjust your graphics to lower resolutions. Your hi-res picture may look great on a 17-inch monitor, but crushing it down to a 3-inch PDA screen can wash out much of the detail. So you may want to resize your graphics accordingly—anyway, mobile users often expect some quality loss in exchange for mobile access.

It may also be worth reworking your content for the mobile reader. People on trains and buses can’t concentrate on a long, detailed article, or put all their attention on an animation. If possible, design your content so that it’s easily readable and digestible. A good rule to follow is that the average person should be able to get your point in under five minutes.

Finally, you want to ensure compatibility with mobile systems. You can’t really achieve 100% compatibility in the mobile market, but you want to comply with at least the mainstream standards. The most common systems are Windows Mobile, Symbian, and Palm OS. So before going live, try to test your site on these systems, and make adjustments (or even new versions if possible) as necessary.

123Triad webdesign offers affordable custom website design. Our full service website design company only hires certified website designers. Please contact us today on 1-800-720-0816 for your next web site design project.

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