Key Mobile Website Design Principles

Whether you’re about to build a website, or whether you already have one and are thinking about developing a mobile ready design, then there are several important facts that you should be aware of in advance. In this post we will cover all of what we consider to be the most important mobile website design principles to get your mobile site off to a great start.

Why important
Mobile design has become increasingly important as the technology has developed, and web developers have been fighting to create the best solution over the past decade or so. At first we saw mobile websites which were hosted separately from the original website, but finally, responsive design seems to offer a one size fits all solution that works for everyone.

How responsive works
Responsive design is a way of building websites for mobile and tablet devices, and it works in most cases with a scaling tool. When the website is opened, the device type and screen size causes the design of the website to scale appropriately, meaning that whether your screen is large or if you’re using your mobile, the proportions are always the same.

Focus on speed
Unlike browsing with a secure and steady connection at home, browsing on the go can be less reliable. This is why when designing for mobile, speed becomes a top priority. The solution is to strip back your design as much as possible, to design efficiently, and to remove unnecessary design elements, as well as images, videos, and so on.

Hidden Menus
One key difference with mobile browsing is a smaller screen size, and thus the need to make the most of the space you have. One of the most ingenious solutions so far has to be hidden menus, which come in and out of view as they’re needed, freeing up extra space on the screen for your content.

Simplicity
Overall, mobile design should be kept as simple and straightforward as possible, at least to begin with. Once you have a fully functioning site you can always develop it, but try not to run before you can walk.