In a recent article, Internet news blog Mashable coined 2013 ‘the year of responsive web design (RWD)’, which is music to the ears of the team at IE who are passionate about building great websites which help clients to meet their strategic objectives!
So, what is RWD?
RWD is a technique used is to create a website that can be viewed on a range of devices, from a PC or laptop to a mobile phone. RWD creates an optimal viewing experience, with simple navigation and minimal resizing, panning, and scrolling.
With a soaring number of people accessing the web via handheld devices (including smartphones and tablets) it is crucial that organisations ensure that their website can be viewed and easily navigated from a mobile, without losing functionality.
Formerly this meant developing a separate, mobile optimised version which could be viewed and navigated easily from mobile devices. In reality, budgets and time constraints rarely accommodate the luxury of a dedicated mobile site, so responsive design can provide a best value, compromise solution.
Sounds complicated; how does that work?
Put simply, RWD establishes the resolution of the device a website is being viewed on before adjusting structure, images and to fit the screen.
How will that benefit my business?
The benefits are clear. With RWD, a website is built once, and it works across thousands of different screens, increasing accessibility for a larger number of potential clients. RWD delivers an optimised version of a website without ‘losing’ content and functionality, meaning less frustrated, and more engaged users!
If you're interested in working with us or simply want to keep in touch with our latest work and insights, we'd love to hear from you.
