Mobile

Everybody is talking mobile. Smart phones and tablets are changing the way that users interact with content and online services. 45% of people interact with online content while out and about. That rises to 70% for 16-25s. (UK, September 2011). Online providers must engage with this emerging market or face losing customers. So what are the options?

Adaptive Design

This approach automatically applies a speciﬁc style to a site, when it is viewed in a browser of a predeﬁned size. This can be on a desktop when the browser is resized or when it is viewed on a device with a smaller screen such as a tablet or smartphone. With this approach speciﬁc views are defined, of the same content, per screen size (or device). Key to this approach is that a website’s visual appearance/layout can be tailored to each device, without the need for a separate mobile version.

This is a relatively simple way of tailoring websites or applications to speciﬁc mobile devices without having to redesign existing desktop versions. However, it does mean that screen size and device choices are made prior to development and therefore may not cater for a particular screen size yet to be released.

Responsive Design

Unlike ‘adaptive’ design, ‘responsive’ design does not require that target screen sizes are selected from the beginning.

A responsively designed page will rearrange content constantly as the screen changes size. While speciﬁc screen sizes can be defined where a page changes layout, taking a ‘responsive’ design approach means that a site will be optimised for all potential screen dimensions.

This offers a degree of future prooﬁng. This is worth considering as new mobile devices are constantly being released and we don’t know what size the next shiny new device will be!

There is a degree of extra complexity in this approach which will often be reﬂected in development time scales and, ultimately, cost.

Web app

Typically built with HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript, web apps provide the ability to tailor content delivered to mobile device rather than simply reconﬁguring the same content that a desktop user would receive.

Web apps will work on any device that support modern mobile web browsers making them universal, cross platform applications. This maximises potential audience reach with a single implementation rather than having to develop separate versions for different platforms such Android, iOS or Windows Phone. This reduces development costs.

However, web apps are limited in their functionality and user experience to what can be provided within a browser. Web apps are, for example, unable to use device speciﬁc technologies such as a camera.

Web apps provide the opportunity to offer mobile users their own tailored experience. However, as this is essentially a separate implementation from a standard web site it is likely to be more costly to implement than adaptive and responsive design options.

Native app

The app. A bite sized piece of software that provides specific content and functionality for the user in their context.

A wholly different experience from the website, an app is useful for offering users a speciﬁc service or function. Native apps can take advantage of the vast array technology buried in the mobile device; the compass, gyroscope, storage (ofﬂine and cloud), Near Field Communications (NFC), and the camera.

Native apps offer the user the slickest experience on a mobile device. However, development time is likely to be greatest of all mobile options. Also, each native environment (iOS, Android, Windows, RIM) requires its own development; native apps are not cross platform.

These two factors combine to make this the most costly option in terms of both time and budget.

Headscape’s research-led approach to project development helps to define the most appropriate mobile solution for our clients.

For further commentary on the subject (including a flashy online PDF!) see Rob’s article on The Mobile Maze.

For further statistics on mobile usage see Paul’s article on Why Mobile Matters.

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