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Mobile First Design Strategy: The When, Why, and How?




Mobile-first design is a design approach that prioritizes the mobile experience over the desktop experience. This means that designers start by designing the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) for mobile devices, and then adapt the design for larger screens.


There are several benefits to using a mobile-first design approach. First, it ensures that your website or app will be usable on mobile devices, which are increasingly becoming the primary way people access the internet. Second, it can help you save time and money, as you only need to design one UI and UX instead of two. Third, it can help you create a more focused and efficient user experience, as you are forced to prioritize the most important content and features for mobile users.


Today, two billion people access the internet from their smartphones only. By 2025, that number is expected to jump to 72.5%. Therefore, if you are not designing for mobile, your users are more likely to have a less-than-amazing experience.


Why mobile first?

As mentioned, mobile internet use has outgrown desktop internet use. If 72.5% of people will access the internet solely with their phones in 2025, this shows the importance of having an optimal mobile user experience. Additionally, consumers are more likely to shop and return to businesses that have a mobile-friendly site.


Mobile First is content first

When designing for mobile first, you must remember that content is key. Using a content-first approach, designers should give their users the content they absolutely need with nothing extra. Anything additional might clutter and distract away from the mobile experience.


Mobile-first design has restrictions like screen size and bandwidth, which can cause designers to prioritize poorly. These stringent limitations force designers to strip away any extraneous elements in order to focus on the essentials. Just because an element is extraneous doesn’t mean it’s not necessary at all; it means that those elements are not necessary for mobile design. There are often plenty of elements removed from mobile designs that are kept in the desktop design. This is because the content is dependent on the context of use. A mobile user will typically have different needs than a desktop user.


Here are some additional benefits of mobile-first design:


  • Increased user engagement: Mobile users are more likely to engage with a website or app that is designed specifically for their device. This is because mobile users are often on the go and have limited time to spend on a website or app.

  • Improved SEO: Mobile-friendly websites and apps are more likely to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is because Google and other search engines now prioritize mobile-friendly websites and apps in their search results.


  • Increased brand awareness: Mobile-first design can help you increase brand awareness by making your website or app more visible to mobile users. This is because mobile users are more likely to share websites and apps with their friends and family.



If you are considering using a mobile-first design approach, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, you need to make sure that your website or app is responsive so that it can adapt to different screen sizes. Second, you need to carefully consider the needs of your mobile users and design your UI and UX accordingly. Third, you need to test your website or app on a variety of mobile devices to make sure that it works as intended.


If you follow these tips, you can use a mobile-first design approach to create a website or app that is both usable and effective on mobile devices.


Here are some additional tips for implementing a mobile-first design strategy:


Start with the user experience. What do your mobile users need and want? What are their pain points?


  • Design for the smallest screen first. This will force you to prioritize content and features.

  • Use responsive design. This will ensure that your website or app looks good on all devices.

  • Test your design on a variety of devices. This will help you catch any errors or usability issues.

  • Get feedback from users. Ask them what they think of your design and how it could be improved.


By following these tips, you can create a mobile-first design that will provide a great user experience for your mobile users.


When to use the mobile-first design?


  • Mobile-first design is a good choice for any website or app that will be used on mobile devices. This includes websites and apps that are designed for:

  • Consumers: Mobile users are increasingly using their phones and tablets to shop, bank, and do other activities that they used to do on their desktop computers.

  • Businesses: Businesses can use mobile-first design to create apps that their employees can use to stay productive on the go.

  • Organizations: Non-profits and other organizations can use mobile-first design to create apps that can be used to raise awareness about their cause or to provide services to their members.


How to implement mobile-first design?


There are a few key steps involved in implementing mobile-first design:


  • Start with the user experience: The first step is to understand the needs of your mobile users. What do they want to be able to do on your website or app? What are their pain points?


  • Design for the smallest screen first: Once you understand the needs of your mobile users, you can start designing your website or app for the smallest screen first. This will force you to prioritize content and features and to make sure that your design is easy to use on a small screen.

  • Use responsive design: Responsive design is a technique that allows your website or app to adapt to different screen sizes. This means that your website or app will look good on both mobile devices and desktop computers.

  • Test your design on a variety of devices: Once you have designed your website or app, it is important to test it on a variety of mobile devices. This will help you catch any errors or usability issues.

  • Get feedback from users: Once you have tested your design, it is important to get feedback from users. This will help you improve your design and make sure that it meets the needs of your users.


By following these steps, you can implement a mobile-first design and create a website or app that is both usable and effective on mobile devices.

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