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View Full Version : Is Designing for mobile devices important to you now?



Harold Mansfield
05-28-2012, 11:10 AM
A couple of years ago when the whole designing for mobile argument was taking shape, I still wasn't sold. Mainly because I didn't feel like that many people surfed on their phone for anything other than locations, social networking, and quick bits of information.
I still feel that way. Although phones are capable, it's still not a comfortable experience when doing real work.

But now tablets are in play and growing fast. And even though the display is the same when visiting a normally designed website, navigation and other things like galleries, drop down menus and other functions aren't exactly user friendly for fingers, as they are for a cursor on a larger monitor utilizing a mouse.

Maybe I read too many articles, but I'm now starting to feel as if it's more important to have a tablet friendly layout, than all else.

Admittedly, I'm almost obsessed with the notion that tablets are going to be the device of choice for casual users and will out sell laptops. They've already killed off the netbook, and the lapdock, while a nice idea, isn't really as "sexy" as a touch screen tablet.

Am I jumping the gun too soon, or is anyone else starting to see the significance of tablets too?

vangogh
05-29-2012, 12:24 AM
You're not jumping the gun at all. Mobile internet use is on the rise and no one expects it will go down. Even more devices beyond smartphones and tablets will come. You simply can't design a site solely for a widescreen browser on a desktop or laptop any more.

There will be times when you'll want to develop a version of the site to a specific device. Maybe someone interacting with your site or web app on a phone shouldn't get the same experience they get interacting on a laptop. However even then you aren't going to be develop a different site for every conceivable device that might access your site.

A solution is responsive design. You design and develop your site so that it can adapt to different devices and different device characteristics. For example a multi-column layout on a desktop becomes a single column layout on a smartphone. Search for articles on responsive design. I've written about it myself a few times and just started a series on my blog last week that'll go into a whole bunch of responsive topics.

cbscreative
05-29-2012, 12:45 PM
I don't think you're jumping the gun either. I've given this plenty of thought and consideration, especially in recent months. Over the holiday weekend, I took a decent amount of time to get more familiar with epub. One of the apps I have that I am least familiar with is InDesign. Since the CorelDRAW I use has a lot more capability than most people would expect, my motivation to learn ID has been limited.

However, as I delve deeper into it, my perception of ID as a "publication" tool has shifted. ID is more of a "web design" tool than I realized, and I foresee that becoming increasingly so with the growing use of mobile devices.

billbenson
05-31-2012, 12:08 AM
I think its an audience thing though. Being a B2B company, I don't get orders from people sitting in front of devices other than PC's. I do get emails from other devices, but that's pretty much it.

I have a 28 in monitor and am in front of it every day, all day. During the holiday weekend I went to visit my aging mother and used her computer with I would guess a 22 in monitor and a large font. It seemed like the fold was after the first three sentences :) Drove me crazy.

I admit I'm a bit of a dinosaur in this area. However, remember your audience. If they are people sitting in cubicles at business or even like me working at home, they will probably be in front of a real monitor. I don't recall my banker pulling my account up on his ipad lately :)

Point being, don't forget the old stuff for the new!

KristineS
05-31-2012, 11:17 AM
I think mobile and tablets will become more and more important. We get messages now from people's phones and iPads, and I expect that will increase. I'd say people who design sites will have to be more aware of multiple accessing options and take all of them into account when designing.

Harold Mansfield
05-31-2012, 11:33 AM
I agree with you Bill. I don't think people like us, who work on computers or online will ever stop using desktops and laptops. And I still believe others who are looking to do business won't be doing so on an iPad. They'll still be at their computers at their desks just like we are. And I'm with you, no device is ever going to take the place of my desktop when I need to work. And I'll go on a limb and say "Ever".

But certain businesses need to be aware of their accessibility and some are. Redoing your website with an entire product line or functions is not going to be practical for everyone, but certainly a scaled down version that highlights your features and has the obligatory contact information would be of benefit to everyone eventually. Probably even a necessity.

A couple of weeks ago, I was out and used Google Location to find a men's clothing store in the area that I was in. I was amazed at how many businesses were listed ( good for them), but when I clicked on their website links it ruined the magic. None of them were ready for the devices on which they targeted by being listed or optimized for location based search.

This is all happening faster than I expected. I just got my sites together earlier this year to the point that I could look at them without wanting to change anything and now I feel like they are already obsolete. I'm working on a mobile version of my site now that is responsive to all screens ( Computers, Tablets, and Phones) and I'm going to start pushing it as a service pretty much immediately while I learn the app development thing.

Rumor for a couple of months now is that Google and Acer are coming out with a $199 Android tablet by July, and I've read simular stories from other manufacturers that are following suit. Seems like a device war is about to heat up and flood the market with cheap tablets. Cheaper than phones and you know it's going to get cheaper by the Holidays. And I think the public is going to eat them up.

I mean, at $199 it's worth having another one that you can take to the bar with you during football season, so that you don't risk ruining your good ( more expensive) one.
Google tipped to sell its own 7-inch Android tablet | ZDNet UK (http://www.zdnet.co.uk/blogs/jacks-blog-10017212/google-tipped-to-sell-its-own-7-inch-android-tablet-10025778/)

vangogh
05-31-2012, 03:57 PM
I don't get orders from people sitting in front of devices other than PC's. I do get emails from other devices, but that's pretty much it.

That could suggest your site doesn't work well on devices other than a PC and that anyone interested in buying after viewing on a non-PC device has only one option, which is to email you. Just because you don't get orders from those other devices, doesn't mean people won't order using them. It might mean they can't. If that's the case then how many orders might you be losing?


I don't think people like us, who work on computers or online will ever stop using desktops and laptops.

We probably won't, but that doesn't mean we won't also use tablets and phones and whatever device comes next.

If you look at the data being collected more and more people are accessing the web via a mobile device and less are using desktops and laptops. I saw a chart earlier this morning that showed mobile use has already surpassed desktop use in India (http://kpcb.com/insights/2012-internet-trends). (Check slide 18). The same thing is going to happen everywhere.

Steve Jobs had a good analogy a few years back. I probably won't do it justices, but here it is. Most people don't drive trucks. They drive cars. Trucks can do things cars can't and for some people some of the time they'll be the vehicle chosen. Most people will still choose cars over trucks. Laptops and Desktops are trucks. They'll increasing become a niche device for a subset of the population that needs the extras they can do. Most of the population though will happily connect to the web via another device. That device might be less capable, but it'll be more than enough for most people's needs and wants.

cbscreative
05-31-2012, 05:22 PM
Steve Jobs had a good analogy a few years back. I probably won't do it justices, but here it is. Most people don't drive trucks. They drive cars. Trucks can do things cars can't and for some people some of the time they'll be the vehicle chosen. Most people will still choose cars over trucks. Laptops and Desktops are trucks. They'll increasing become a niche device for a subset of the population that needs the extras they can do. Most of the population though will happily connect to the web via another device. That device might be less capable, but it'll be more than enough for most people's needs and wants.

Interesting analogy, and I can see that potentially happening. Maybe I just chose the wrong time to get older, but I don't care for the small screens even for basic tasks. Maybe reliable voice command technology will change consumer response too. Although many people have adapted to minuscule sized keyboards, I'm too stubborn to even want to develop that skill. Of course, the fact that most of my computer time is work tasks influences the fact that I want lots of workspace.

I find it somewhat ironic that we kept seeing monitors (and TV screens) get bigger and bigger, better and better, and now they shrink down to pocket or note pad size and the smaller is now out pacing the larger. I understand a lot of the reasons for it, but that doesn't stop me from finding it mildly amusing.

In spite of how mobile device use is growing while desktop and laptop use appears to be declining, I suspect it's lifestyle more than an actual matter of interest. Many people spend less time at home and "get by" with a mobile device simply because it beats the inconvenience of carrying a laptop. I'm having a hard time seeing the majority of users wanting to abandon their home computer. They're certainly using them less, but that's not the same thing as saying most people don't want them or won't in the future.

It's already been pointed out, but consider the needs of your user. If the task is something they can do from a mobile device, it's good to have that option. But something like being able to see large images of home decorating ideas isn't nearly as practical on a small screen.

vangogh
06-01-2012, 11:10 AM
I don't think there's anything ironic about screens getting both bigger and smaller. It's a matter of the device and what it's used for. TVs aren't moving. It makes sense for their screens to get bigger. Phones are portable. They're meant to go with you and so their screens need to be smaller to make them more portable.


I don't care for the small screens even for basic tasks.

I guess it depends on what you consider a basic task. There are some things I'm not going to do on my phone. I won't be developing a website on it for example. However it's nice to know I could log in to a server and make a quick edit or potentially fix some issue. Not that I consider those things basic.

If I'm sitting at home where I have phone, tablet, and laptop I'm probably not reaching for the phone to do things like surf the web or reply to email. However when out it's the one device that's sure to be with me and so I'll surf and email with it.


Many people spend less time at home and "get by" with a mobile device simply because it beats the inconvenience of carrying a laptop.

That might be true for some, but I wouldn't be so sure it's as many as you think. It might be a generational thing, but if you watch people under 30 (just to pick an age) I think many would reach for their phone first and prefer using it. Where you and I might prefer to type out an email, they want to send a quick text message. You and I need the computer, because we still drive the truck. Most people don't. I think you'll find that more and more people prefer to use a phone or tablet than use a laptop or desktop.

And let's all keep in mind this conversation shouldn't be limited to phones and tablets. Others devices can be used to access the internet with more coming.

KristineS
06-01-2012, 12:41 PM
I don't tend to use my phone except in situations where I want to do something quick and easy, or where I don't have access to any other type of device. Of course, part of that, for me, is that my particular phone doesn't make it easy to do some of the things I might use it to do online. (Yes, it is possible I need a new phone). I think that's part of it too. If you have a phone that allows you to do what you want to do easily, then you'll probably use your phone in more situations. If you don't have a phone that is simple and easy to use, you probably won't. Of course, that goes for any device you might use.

vangogh
06-01-2012, 04:04 PM
Keep in mind most of us in this discussion didn't grow up with cell phones. We're the group that laughed at people having car phones and carrying around those early giant "portable" phones. We didn't grow up with it being second nature to whip out our phone wherever we are to communicate or look something up. There are quite a few people behind us in age who do grab their phone as second nature though.

libra
06-03-2012, 03:24 AM
Now that we have a fair sampling of views on the matter, which obviouslyly point to the inevitable increasing usage of mobile devices, perhaps it's a good time to get down to brass tacks and discuss options for developing stuff for these devices.

For a start, I will consider it it useful to discuss things like the merits of web sites catering to mobiles vs apps, for instance.

cbscreative
06-04-2012, 03:15 PM
It might be a generational thing

That's probably most of it right there. I'm a techno gadget guy, yet there are plenty of "advances" I'm just not interested in. With all the effort I put into not getting stuck in my ways, there remains some areas where I begin to sound like, "Hey, you kids get off my lawn!" There are things even my non techy friends and relatives do that I don't, and we sometimes joke about that.

Back in the 90's, I thought IM was cool and did a lot of it until it began to feel like a disruption that anyone can impose on each other any time they wish. Then I shifted to avoiding IM and have ever since. By the time texting came along, it felt way too much like IM only worse. I would estimate that I text about 4-6 times a year and a couple years ago it would have been zero. My one liner when referring to my cell phone is, "I use my phone for a very unusual purpose... to make phone calls."

I don't think I can attribute my views just to age though because I certainly don't act my age. After spending so much time on the computer and using it to earn my living, when I leave the office, the LAST thing I want is technology. Getting away from it is my break. I do not want a mobile device. To me that's like lugging a fire extinguisher around if I were an off duty fireman.

You mentioned that we used to laugh at people with car phones. Not me, I had one over 20 years ago (complete with the expensive service plan). The phone I had was very high tech for its time. Most had ridiculously heavy handsets. The one I bought used a smarter design by putting the hardware in the base instead of the handset, making the handset very light and ergonomic. Since I spent a significant amount of time on the road back then, it was necessary to have the car phone.

One by-product of having a mobile phone that long ago is the novelty also wore off long ago. Now it's just an electronic leash. To make it more bearable, I use it as little as possible. It's a good thing for device makers that not everyone feels the same way I do. My work involves very little travel and my itch to be around technology is fully satisfied at home. When I step out, it is refreshing to be unchained. Unless something changes to where I'm really missing out without having a mobile device, I'm perfectly content to have rogue personal preferences.

As you'll see from my other posts, I "get" the technology. I just don't share the same enthusiasm except to design for it, which will probably keep me satisfied. Besides, my kids keep me connected with anything I'm missing.

Harold Mansfield
06-04-2012, 08:32 PM
Now that we have a fair sampling of views on the matter, which obviouslyly point to the inevitable increasing usage of mobile devices, perhaps it's a good time to get down to brass tacks and discuss options for developing stuff for these devices.

For a start, I will consider it it useful to discuss things like the merits of web sites catering to mobiles vs apps, for instance.

I think apps are only going to be necessary when accessing complex functions of the device and animation.
From what I see, mobile websites can or will be able to trigger the device functions that the average business website will need. Call, SMS, Email, Share, Mapping, Vibrate, and Subscribe..and there are likely a few more that I don't know yet.

Right now I see a lot of company apps that could have easily been mobile websites and I think that's where the trend is going to be for businesses.

vangogh
06-05-2012, 11:05 AM
I don't think I can attribute my views just to age though because I certainly don't act my age.

I think the generational thing is more a statistical think than specifically applying to any of us. My point was that more younger people are using phones and the generations that come after them are only going to continue that trend so mobile use is going to continue to outpace desktop and laptop use.


Now it's just an electronic leash.

Only if you let it be. I carry my phone around with me everywhere, but most of the time it stays in my pocket. I might not even answer it if it rings. It's hardly a leash for me. However it is there when I want it and it's often very useful. I've used it to find directions when I'm lost and information that's helpful while I'm out to simply helping me waste a little time playing a game when I'm waiting for someone or something. And of course it's a phone that keeps me connected with people.

One other thing to consider is mobile doesn't specifically mean phones. It also means the tablets people use and cars that connect to the internet. It means the internet capable watches that are coming out and any device in the future that you can add to the list.


For a start, I will consider it it useful to discuss things like the merits of web sites catering to mobiles vs apps, for instance.

I agree with what Harold said. For most businesses a site will be more than enough. For most sites the way forward will be responsive design, where you design your site to be flexible and give it the ability to change at certain points where flexibility isn't enough. Some sites will benefit from a dedicated site for a specific device with a fallback to responsive design for everything else. Few businesses will have reasons to justify an app.

As a use I will grab for an app first, but there's only so many apps I'm going to install in the first place. I think before you create a mobile app you should think about whether your website is truly a web app above and beyond a website. Are people doing more than reading or even buying a product? Do you have something that people check daily to manage something in their lives? You might also ask is your site so popular that people are wanting you to make an app and can you develop one that makes interacting with your site easier and more convenient than visiting your site.

cbscreative
06-05-2012, 01:51 PM
I agree, vangogh, that the age aspect is more statistical average than applying too much to any certain individual. For example, I know people my age who text more than my kids do. Generally speaking though, the younger crowd are the heavier users of mobile devices, but even then, you have other demographics like occupation. Someone who works on service calls such as fixing office equipment will need mobile devices now regardless of age. It's probably only the recreational use where age would be the biggest factor.

I should point out that my electronic leash statement was mostly tongue in cheek. I do have mixed feelings on the cell phone so there's an element of seriousness. I wouldn't want to be without one, but I use it far less than most people. I certainly don't allow it to become an electronic leash, but my statement was made simply because it could happen. These days employers are pretty much demanding that employees provide cell phone numbers. Although I don't have to deal with that, it crosses a line IMO that pushes the boundaries of how much control an employer should have over your life and serves as an example of a leash where you would have very little to say about it.

Harold Mansfield
06-05-2012, 03:03 PM
Have you guys seen this yet? It's one of the things I was talking about when I said I can totally see tablets being the device of choice going forward.
Chameleon - A Better Home Screen for your Android Tablet by Gabor Vida - Teknision — Kickstarter (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gaborvida/chameleon-a-better-home-screen-for-your-android-ta)
Add in the fact that you can tie in your office intranet and all of your business and personal communication.

Home entertainment and administration functions
Control4 Home Automation and Smart Home Control > Home (http://www.control4.com/)

Car security and functionality:
Viper - SmartStart (http://www.viper.com/smartstart/)

...and laptops become increasingly unnecessary unless you work on your computer.

billbenson
06-05-2012, 05:50 PM
I think lifestyle is the most important factor. When I was a field sales guy in 1990 and always on the road, I had my customer list consisting of a couple thousand contacts in an excel sheet - or lotus back in those days. I printed it in small print on half pages (5.5 x 4 1/4), bought a binding machine, and every few months I would print a new one. I could have used a small binder, but I wanted it even smaller than that. My eyes were also still good so I could read the small print.

I think that is analogous to what we are talking about here. A reason to want and need small. What is also happening now is people are more mobile. The market for the mobil devices will no doubt grow. However, remote employees are also growing. Not just those self employed of us who sit in front of a computer. People working from home for companies. So I would think you will see a growth in both mobile and desktop devices. I have two desktop computers in my office both equipped with 28 inch monitors. I hate working on small monitors.

Harold Mansfield
06-05-2012, 06:15 PM
I'm with you Bill. I understand both sides of the coin and see where it is going and I hope to Capitalize on it. And as much as I love my phone and my tablet, I hate working on a laptop. I LOVE my desktop set up and can't imagine working on anything else.

However, when I'm done for the day and still want to read work related stuff...it's all tablet on the couch. And where as before if I ever had a local meeting with a potential client, a laptop used to be my weapon of choice. Now, a tablet would be all that I need.

It's finally the way I envisioned it when the first Samsung Galaxy Tab came out. I'm still pissed that you can't answer and make calls on them, but there are synching apps that let you use the tablet as a phone...as long as you have the phone close by.


At the moment, I can't think of any reason that I would need a laptop.

Rumors have it that HP and Dell are getting out of the desktop and laptop market. Dell supposedly to concentrate on Business Enterprise Services and HP announced that they were spinning off thier computer division and then changed thier minds. But I think if they see success with the first round of Windows tablets, they'll be out of the desktop game. Which sucks, I've always owned HP's.

billbenson
06-05-2012, 11:49 PM
A little off topic but I'm thinking about one of the desk mounts pictured below:

It's a sit stand monitor keyboard, mouse desk stand. I get so tired of sitting all day long. But I don't want to stand all day either. I read an article a while back that a group of researchers looking into the benefits of standing desks all had standing desks.It's a bit pricy at list #479 and Amazon for $350 or the likes. It's on my wanna get list though.

224

Ergotron 33-351-200 WorkFit-S Height-Adjustable Standing Desk Mount Computer Workstation for large L (http://www.ergotron.com/Products/tabid/65/PRDID/560/Language/en-US/Default.aspx)

vangogh
06-06-2012, 12:24 AM
Thanks for the links Harold. I can see all of those things being common very soon. One thing I realized while watching Chameleon is that Apple kind of does that on OS X. They aren't home screens, but you can set up different desktops. It's something that came from the *nix world. I can see them building that into iOS at some point too. It makes a lot of sense.

Where remotes are concerned I can envision something not too far off where you're driving home from work or wherever. You have your phone contact your house to set the heat or the AC. You ask your refrigerator what you can make for dinner based on what's inside and it runs through some recipes and mentions some missing ingredients. You have it contact the supermarket and they have your order waiting for you.

As it is now my music system is an Airplay speaker that I send any song in my iTunes library too. I'm usually on the laptop so that's what I use, but I use my phone too. I can send most anything on my laptop, phone, or tablet to the tv and I have apps on my phone that can act as a remote control. The Nest thermostat lets you control it from your iPhone. How long will it be before our homes are built with a master computer than can interact with every device inside. We're getting closer to Star Trek every days.

Computer. Post reply.

Harold Mansfield
06-06-2012, 03:38 PM
Actually, it's still rather expensive, but that whole house integration is entirely possible right this second with Control 4 Home Automation.
add in
Samsung Refrigerators: Refrigerators | SAMSUNG Refrigerators (http://www.samsung.com/us/appliances/refrigerators)
and
Microsoft's on{X} to send automatic messages based on your location.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qfLMTsIJsoo

Supermarkets haven't quite caught to the technology for the final ingredient. At least not in my area. But you can automate ordering take out.

cbscreative
06-07-2012, 01:00 PM
This discussion is now reminding me of something I learned in my tech classes at school back in the early years of the last decade. The Java programming language wasn't developed strictly for computers or the web, it just found its earliest application there. It was made to be portable enough for something such as a refrigerator. The building blocks for all this technology have existed for a long time now.

Harold, I don't think it's just the supermarkets in your area. It seems as a whole, that's one of the groups that is slower to adopt web technologies into their business. I doubt Amazon minds that shortcoming though.

Harold Mansfield
06-11-2012, 11:38 AM
I'm kicking myself for not learning Java when I had the chance. I always tell people "This stuff didn't exist when I was in college, so there weren't any classes." But there were. I remember that I could have learned programming languages back then. But who knew?

Dan Furman
06-12-2012, 02:20 PM
To address the original question, I noticed my site didn;t look so good on my tablet, and worse on my phone.

It prompted me to get going on a new, responsive site that looks a lot better on both. Probably launch sometime in summer.

Harold Mansfield
06-13-2012, 11:19 AM
On a side note, my mobile version has been up for about a solid week and already one of my existing clients wants one.
They said it's something that they've been thinking about but weren't sure how to bring it all together. They thought they needed to spend $10k to build an app.
They actually came up with some great ideas for implemetation to make thier brand more engaging. So the time has already paid off.

That being said, it's probably more important for people like me, than other non web design businesses.

vangogh
06-19-2012, 01:07 AM
I'm kicking myself for not learning Java when I had the chance.

You can still learn now. You always have a chance.


my mobile version has been up for about a solid week and already one of my existing clients wants one.

Congrats. Good to know it paid off so quickly.


That being said, it's probably more important for people like me, than other non web design businesses.

I disagree. It's important for everyone. Mobile use (including ordinary browsing) continues to grow. It's not going to be long before most every site needs to work well on a phone or tablet. This isn't an "if" thing. It's a "when" thing.