Mobile HTML5

Chapter 12. Designing Mobile Applications

Designing mobile websites and mobile applications is different from developing for desktops, and not just in terms of the visual design. The mobile environment—in terms of screen size, lack of pointing device, restricted download speed, and differences in user goals—all affect design and implementation decisions.

While many have argued that mobile websites should be limited in scope, this is not true. You want to make available all the information to your mobile users that you would want to make available to your desktop users. You just might not want to stick all that content on the mobile site’s home page.

Yes, with some websites the goals of the average desktop visitor may be different than the goal of the average mobile visitor, but you have a lot of visitors who aren’t average. The argument is that the mobile site visitor has less time, and just needs your phone number^[81] or address. Realize that a growing number of people only access the Web via mobile devices. Your mobile visitor may just need your phone number. Or she may be looking up your site on the trading floor wanting to make a huge investment. She needs to be able to access your annual reports, press releases, and board of directors from her smartphone. Just because her screen size is smaller, doesn’t mean she needs less information or functionality. The mobile website should have all the content and all the functionality of the “full” website, though layout, hierarchy, and ...