I read an article this week Why 2013 Is the Year of Responsive Web Design. It got me thinking, responsive design is the new buzz word and took off in 2012 but it seems it is going to be the next big thing in 2013.
As a charity, it’s a fundamental rule to be available to everyone. What better way is there than to make sure your charity’s website is accessible across most if not all devices? This includes desktops, laptops and tablets to mobile phones. You saw a few examples of responsive websites in our previous post responsive design is the future.
With the numerous devices available now to view websites on, it’s becoming imperative the organizations start thinking about making sure they come across well however and wherever they are viewed online. The question though is responsive design the next step? Is it the way forward for all charities?
Let’s recap – What is responsive design?
Responsive design is when the website responds to the device it is being viewed on by adapting it’s layout to the different screen resolution albeit a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or desktop.
Is Responsive Design the Future?
“It is predicted in the next three to five years, mobile browsing will surpass desktop browsing.”
If this is true, then it appears that responsive design is the future. The aim is to make the web more accessible and mobile so you can get online and get the information you need wherever you are.
As an alternative organisation’s have opted for having mobile or tablet specific sites built providing them with the opportunity to cater the content to the audience depending on the device being used.
With technology ever evolving and new products coming out regularly, life would be simpler with one port of call for anyone on any device. The best thing that could happen is that one website could meet the needs of the audience wherever it was seen.
Screen resolutions range from small to large, wide to thin, depending on the monitor being used and the new solution would be to have a website that fits automatically on any monitor hence the rise of responsive design.
Advantages
- Fits to any device your website is being seen on
- Good for SEO
- There is only one website to manage unlike when you have separate mobile or tablets sites
- One website URL is used
- A more consistent user experience across devices
- Cost effective in the long run in terms of managing and updating the website
Disadvantages
- The web pages will take longer to create
- Needs significant testing and a suitable budget
- Support for ecommerce on responsive sites is still in the early stages
- Responsive design might arrange the layout of the page according to the device but it won’t help presentation of the content or minimise scrolling if there is a lot of it.
- You cannot tailor your content depending on how your audience views the site as you would on a mobile or tablet specific site
Conclusion – Is responsive design the next step for your charity?
Some people have questioned do you actually need it? Well yes and no, I think honestly you need to be realistic in your charity’s needs and budget. Yes being responsive is going to help you be seen on different devices but as with any large project it is going to require detailed thought.
As a charity you need to think about your audience and their user habits. How do they expect to see the site? Depending on how they are looking at the site, what would they like to do? More important, what do you need them to do?
Responsive design is taking off and will be the way forward and if the time is right for your organisation to invest in a responsive website then make sure your plan of action is coherent and makes sense to you and your audience.
The future for responsive websites, is when websites will relate to the user by understanding the nature of how the content is displayed and what the user requirements are in terms of their actions on the screen. Being responsive is just the start.
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