Tag Archives: Smartphones

Responsive Web Design Is The New Web Design

Ultimately, a website serves two functions. As an advertisement of the website’s brand, reflecting the values of the company through the color scheme and visual outlook, and as a functional website, requiring usability for users to navigate, understand, and utilize the information and tools provided. Combined, these two factors create the aesthetic through which online visitors judge a company. By staying up to date on the latest trends, the website owner can maximize the quality of its internet visibility, boosting the perception of the company.

The web design landscape is constantly changing as technology continuously upgrades. With the emergence of smartphones came expectations for companies and websites to set-up a mobile presence equally as functional as their desktop site. If your company expects to stay current, you must keep up with current trends. At Mystic Media , we specialize in Responsive Design and recommend it for all of our clients.

Companies utilize a number of tactics for their mobile presence. Some choose to design a mobile app link to website  which acts as a mobile website. Others design a whole other mobile site acclimated for easy browsing on mobile devices. Without adaptation, websites which perform slowly on mobile platforms are left in the past. The most common trend in web design confronting this problem is “Responsive Design”.

Responsive design entails a website which readjusts itself depending on what platform it’s being viewed on, be it desktop, mobile, or tablet. Responsive design has become the new norm in the web design field, about 8/10 websites on the internet are of responsive design. Whether or not a client specifies they are seeking a responsive site, they generally expect it.

Responsive design saves money on development with a one-size-fits-all model. Instead of developing a separate site or application for mobile users, the main website serves all screens, from desktop, tablet, and mobile, thus maximizing functionality. The consistency also solidifies your brand continuity.

Responsive design has been around for about five years. During that time, has emerged as the mainstream favorite visual aesthetic for web design. Flat design can actually work concurrently with responsive design, as flat design is primarily a visual aesthetic utilizing vibrant colors, simple shapes, and more white space with large typography, increasing the ease of usability in browsing layouts.

Gaining popularity when Microsoft  unveiled its “Metro” interface with Windows 8, flat design has the most modern, futuristic look, disregarding the notion of skeumorphism, a design term meaning digital graphics which reflect the physical object, (for instance a digital calculator which looks like a physical calculator). By abandoning traditional physical design, one can maximize the functionality of the digital tool. For example, it seems archaic to navigate between the buttons off the calculator with the mouse when one can just type them.

Combining the functionality of responsive design with the visual aesthetic of flat design generally yields the most futuristic, impressive web layout in the current online climate. A poorly constructed or outdated website gives off the same unprofessional impression as a dilapidated office. Don’t let an antiquated design scheme drag your brand down, stay up to date using responsive design with a flat aesthetic.

Mystic Media is a leader in responsive web design and can help your company save time and money. Contact us to learn more.