You want a website that looks good and is easy to use on all screens, from desktop to smartphone. This is not obvious. Both devices have their specific features that must be considered.
There are various methods and techniques to achieve this goal.
It is designed in desktop mode and, using the “responsive design” technique, ensures aesthetics and comfortable use on mobile devices.
'Desktop First' is not a result but a process.
It is a method that is still the most used. A habit that dates back to when smartphones hadn't conquered the world yet.
The 'Mobile Friendly' website Is a 'Desktop First' website that has been adapted with the 'responsive' design 'technique to be able to view on mobile phones with sufficient ease of use.
The “Mobile Friendly” website is a upshot.
Given its origin (desktop), the layout and ease of use won't just be perfectly optimized for mobile devices.
For example, 'buttons' on the desktop also remain buttons on the smartphone. Applying the 'responsive design' technique does not change that. This isn't perfect because “smart phoners” are mostly scrollers.
To obtain an “Optimized website” (see below), additional intervention is required from the designer.
Another thing, don't let your mobile website be a slimmed down version of your desktop website. Google does not like this very much. Different content and/or structure for desktop and mobile results in a worse ranking in Google search results. To determine that ranking, Google relies more on the mobile version of the website than on the desktop version.
It is designed in smartphone mode and the use of 'the responsive design' technology ensures comfortable use and an aesthetic view of the desktop screen.
'Mobile First' is not a result but a method.
The same comment applies here as with “Desktop First”. On a desktop, for example, using buttons is useful. If you design “Mobile First” without buttons, this can damage desktop usability. With 'responsive design', you don't add buttons. On desktop, internal links in the form of buttons are usually very useful.
To obtain an “Optimized website” (see below), additional intervention is required from the designer.
With a good designer, both the mobile and desktop versions will be user-friendly. However, depending on the approach, the structure, the looks, the use and the overall experience will be different.
Using 'responsive design', you can create websites that adapt smoothly to the screen you are using, from desktop to smartphone
Responsive design is a handy technique a result and no method.
You can apply responsive design with the Desktop First strategy, but you can also do it with the Mobile First approach.
As mentioned above, “responsive design” is a handy one. technique which, depending on the settings provided, adapts to screen size. Website elements are “redimensioned” and suitable so that the website can be visited with a certain ease on any screen.
By default, mere application of the 'response design' technique gives good but not optimal results.
In this context, an “Optimized Website” is a result. It's about optimizing layout, aesthetics, structure, ease of use, loading speed... on mobile and desktop.
The approach you take as a approach, 'Desktop First' or 'Mobile First', undoubtedly contributes to the end result.
The impact is very pronounced when you only let the 'responsive design' technique do its work.
The designer's intervention and expertise can ensure that, through optimization, the impact of the chosen approach is more or less. He can make sure that the different versions (desktop/laptop, tablet and smartphone) are as if they were made “dedicated” for each screen. Depending on how far you want to go into this, the cost (working time) will also vary.
