By Dan FongDC.com – In an era of mobile devices and high-quality graphics, designers are starting to focus more on desktop and mobile design.
But when it comes to the design of the web, the debate is still raging.
According to a survey by the Internet Design Museum, 75% of web designers surveyed are now working on a mobile web site, while only 25% are doing the same on a desktop site.
In contrast, only 16% of designers working on web sites say they are still working on desktop sites.
The reason for the shift in the industry?
Many of the current trends in design are centered around mobile devices, which have led to a greater focus on screen-based layouts, which can be easier to use than screen-centric layouts.
“Mobile devices have led us to more screen-driven design, and we’ve also seen a lot of changes in web design that are designed around mobile platforms,” said Rob Lippert, director of design at Internet Design Institute.
“It’s a shift from a desktop-centric to a mobile-centric view.”
The web has always been a great way to create products, but it has become increasingly mobile-centered.
“We’re seeing the web becoming more like a mobile app, with the same constraints, constraints and expectations that a desktop app would have,” said Scott Jurek, chief executive of mobile and web design firm Jureke.
The web is also changing in a way that has led to many designers coming back to desktop platforms.
Many web designers are using web standards like CSS or SVG instead of HTML.
“Mobile is becoming more mobile-friendly, but designers need to keep using these standards,” said Lippet.
Many of the trends are centered on mobile devices.
“Many of our designers are now doing a lot more of a mobile first design,” said Jureka.
For example, web designers tend to focus on using CSS3, which allows designers to create websites that use less code.
But some designers are focusing more on screen design.
In some ways, it’s a move away from the desktop world.
“There’s a more mobile approach,” said Jason Lippett, head of digital media at online marketing agency The Agency.
“If you look at the trend toward mobile, it seems like the mobile approach is not really on the rise.
But, it still has the potential to take over desktop.”
There are some benefits to switching from a desk to a tablet.
“For a designer who is just starting out in their career, the change can be liberating,” said Mark DeWalt, president of design firm Design Center.
“You can create a new approach to a design, one that’s much more responsive, and it’s much easier to scale.
I’m seeing designers starting to see that as a positive.
And if they’re already doing mobile work, they can get a little more mobile friendly.”
Some designers are also seeing a shift in how they design their website.
In a survey conducted by the Web Design Museum last year, 50% of Web Design Institute members said they would design their own websites for desktop, while another 22% said they wouldn’t.
This could mean designers are still focusing more heavily on a static website design, rather than on designing mobile-optimized versions of the site.
“A lot of people think that web is just a static site, but there’s a lot to think about,” said DeWaldt.
“Some people are seeing mobile as a big opportunity.
But some of us think the mobile world is a bit different than desktop.”
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