What is the mobile-first approach, and why is it gaining momentum?

It is said that the mobile-first approach is the standard in design. Currently, website traffic from smartphones and other mobile devices is enormous. The question is whether this concept is really valid and whether it represents the future of the IT industry.

Mobile first – what is it?

Mobile-first can be explained briefly as a design philosophy. Its central premise is first to create a mobile version of an application and then adapt it for larger screens.

Advantages of mobile-first

When designing with a mobile-first approach, we immediately focus on the most important functionalities. A small screen forces simplicity, clarity, and the elimination of elements that do not bring real value to the user.

As a result, applications and websites often run faster and are better optimized for performance. It is also worth remembering that an increasing number of people use the internet primarily on smartphones, so starting a project with a mobile version makes it easier to adapt the product to the needs of the majority of users. This approach also enables a consistent user experience when adapting the design to larger screens in the future.

Disadvantages of mobile-first

What are the drawbacks of mobile-first? The so-called progressive product improvement strategy is often overlooked, i.e., designing the mobile version first and then expanding it to larger devices, which can result in a less functional finished product.

Additionally, screen size imposes several limitations. On mobile devices, the amount of information to be managed is much smaller than in the desktop version. When using this approach, it is easy to forget the possibilities offered by the desktop version. An example of this is the use of the so-called hamburger menu, i.e., a menu hidden under the well-known icon consisting of parallel lines.

How to eliminate the disadvantages of the mobile-first approach?

The easiest way to eliminate them is to shift from a mobile-first philosophy to a user-first approach, i.e., designing with the user in mind, focusing on what will be best and most effective for them.

How can this be done? A qualified team of specialists who will implement the appropriate solutions will be helpful, but above all, the users themselves, because they know best what and in what form will be most convenient for them to use.

To this end, it is worth regularly creating surveys, sending queries to mailing lists, or asking questions on social media to find out what will be the most practical and convenient solution.

Designing for smaller screens – how to do it right?

In addition to shifting the concept from mobile-first to user-first, several essential factors must be considered. First and foremost, when designing content for smaller screens, you should:

• Prioritize content – it must be concise, focusing on the most essential elements that directly impact the user experience.
• avoid accidental clicks – all links and buttons should be intuitively placed to minimize the risk of unwanted actions,
• ensure readability – an essential aspect, use appropriate spacing and legible fonts,
• ensure good navigation – if the site is intuitive, it is much easier to use,
• test on different devices – it is worth checking how the design works on different models of phones and tablets to ensure that all users have equally good access,
• ensure fast loading speeds – optimized graphics and lightweight code improve the user experience of the application or website on mobile devices.

What mistakes should you avoid when designing a mobile-first website?

Analysis is essential when designing a website. Why might mobile-first design fail without it? Because we won’t know if the website works properly on all devices, if the interface is too complex, or if there is visual clutter on the website. The lack of such information often leads to a situation where the design looks good on only one type of screen, but becomes difficult to use on others.

That is why testing is so necessary. Both functional and visual. It is worth involving people from outside the design team to look at the website from the perspective of an ordinary user. Testing allows you to catch errors that might otherwise be overlooked.

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