EXPERTALKS: Sep 2013 - Responsive Web Design

www.equalexperts.com

Responsive Web Design

Tejaswita [email protected]

Akshada [email protected]


The scenario today

• Multiple devices (smart phones, tablets etc.)

• Faster connectivity (3G, 4G)

As a result:

Websites are accessed on multiple devices.

What’s needed:

Elastic versions of websites which will FIT and be USABLE on multiple devices.


Building Multiple Sites

You could create versions of your website for each device and resolution…

But would that be possible, or practical ?


Problems with multiple versions

Managing multiple codebases

Multiple content management

Learning curve for platform specific technique

Handling multiple URLs impacts:

• Content reliability

• SEO


Think Different !!!

Have Single Solution for multiple devices

Design your site so that it responds to the user screen resolution.

What we have:

• HTML 5 / CSS 3

• Media queries

• Browser support

• Good network bandwidth


Solution: Responsive Web Design

• Term introduced in 2010 by Ethan Marcotte

• Responsive Web Design is the approach which suggests that design and development should respond to the user’s behaviour and the environment screen size, platform and orientation.

• Uses a set of techniques and ideas.


Techniques for RWD


Anatomy of a page layout


Make it FluidFluid – The layout shrinks / expands depending on the screen size & resolution.

Aspects of Fluid design:

• Fluid Grids

• Flexible images

• Flexible Containers, Margins & Padding

Formula: Target / Context = Result

Target – the size we want to be displayed by default

Context – depends on the attribute under calculation (usually the parent element)


Adapt the content

Adaptive – The content becomes usable / user friendly on each device.

Aspects of Adaptive Design:

• Content adaptation

• Media Queries

• Image Swapping


Responsive Design

Combine Fluid Design with Adaptive Design & Content to create a truly responsive web design.

Aspects:

Fluid Grids

Flexible images

Media Queries

Content Adaptation


But this is not enough…

Some issues to be resolved:

• “It takes time until I actually see something on the site”

• “Though I’m not processing scripts, they’re getting downloaded on my phone slowing it down further”

• “Device has high screen resolution but doesn’t support CSS3”


SolutionsProgressive Enhancement : PE

Mobile first approach:

• Create design for the least capable device and the slowest connection speed

• Build up from there to larger breakpoints for faster connections and add decorations for higher screen sizes

Conditional JavaScript loading:

• Load JS only if the rendering device is capable

• Getting something on screen as soon as possible really enhances the user experience

http://coding.smashingmagazine.com/2009/04/22/progressive-enhancement-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it/


Solutions

RWD + Server Side Detection : RESS

• Control the markup and CSS at server side based on the device capability.

• Relies on device library on the server to detect the device and return its capabilities.

• Helps serving the appropriate user journey.

• Example: WURFL

Hybrid Model = PE + RESS


Considerations for RWD

• Context sensitive interaction (e.g. http://dressresponsively.com/)

• Mobile first approach

• Performance

Network considerations

Page weight

Conditional and Lazy loading (e.g Gmail)


Lazy Loading• Load it only when the user requires the content on his

device

• Falls within the Progressive Enhancement school of RWD thought

• Requires Server Side Detection<script id=“lazy”>

//Make sure to replace (or strip out) comment blocks in your JavaScript first.

/*JavaScript of lazy module*/

</script>

<script>

function lazyLoad(){

var lazyElement = document.getElementbyId(‘lazy’);

var lazyElementBody = lazyElement.innerHTML;

var jsCode = stripoutCommentBlock(lazyElementBody);

eval(jsCode);}

</script>


Thinking Native ?

Evaluate Native vs RWD on the basis of:

• Efforts – Time and Money

• Browser support for web apps

• Device capabilities

• Performance


Help at hand…

RWD frameworks:

• Bootstrap

• Skeleton

• Foundation

JavaScript frameworks:

• Respond.js

• Modernizr.js


References

http://alistapart.com/article/responsive-web-design

http://coding.smashingmagazine.com/2011/01/12/guidelines-for-responsive-web-design/

Responsive Web Design – Ethan Marcotte


Thank You !!!

Tejaswita [email protected]

Akshada [email protected]

EXPERTALKS: Sep 2013 - Responsive Web Design

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