UX For The Mobile Generation
- By Brandon |
- Category: BrinkMedia. |
- No Comments |
I remember thinking how cool it was to have a phone with a WAP (Web Application Protocol) browser back in the day. Though it wasn’t anything like browsing on my computer at home, I loved the idea of having the web in my pocket whenever I needed it. As smart phones became more affordable and popular, I watched the mobile web evolve from novelty to necessity. Today, the demand for useful, optimized digital information is no longer limited to users at their desk.
Our constantly connected world has sparked an advance in mobile web design and technology, with web designers and developers exploring new techniques to create an enhanced user experience on a mobile device. The problem is, many sites fail to design with mobile users in mind. As the amount of on-the-go users climbs, the necessity of optimized mobile sites to maintain brand integrity increases.
Creating a great experience for your users, regardless of device, is not as complicated as you may think. Continue reading after the jump for some basic tips on mobile site creation.
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Scrolling Websites
- By Kai Miller |
- Category: BrinkMedia. |
- No Comments |
Anyone that has dealt with clients in any field has become familiar with the odd requests that usually don’t make any sense. In web design, there are too many to list. Today we will focus on CSS scrolll bars (overflow:auto).
A client quotes:
“Users will be confused if they have to scroll”
This is not true. Market studies have basically proved that scrolling is universally accepted as a standard element in the web experience.
However, it is YOUR website. It is understandable that you might want your website to be contained on the screen without having to scroll, but there is a huge difference between not scrolling the screen and using a CSS scroll bar.
The CSS scroll bar requires the user to focus on the containing element before the mouse wheel or keyboard page buttons will work.
Random scroll bars in the middle of the site just don’t look good in general. Some sites are designed around them and they can work, if done correctly.
The internet is not exactly brand new. Most people are very familiar with basic web navigation. To say they will be confused if they have to scroll is like saying they are too stupid to enter your domain in the browser. Have faith in your viewers.
Take a look at the internet giants of today. Google, Facebook, Amazon, Ebay, Buy, New York Times, Craigslist, etc… All scroll. They all have quite a bit of content delivered to the viewer, but none make use of the CSS scroll bar. It stands as a testament to the user. They will figure it out.
On the flip side, CSS scroll bars can be used appropriately. Some sites are heavy on graphics and the design calls for a static overlay in a tight area. In this case, the CSS scroll bar is often the only option for long lists or information. The important part is knowing when the design of the site should call for a CSS scroll bar. In most cases, it is best to just let the page flow.
When in doubt, consult with a web design firm. We’ve seen so many projects, we live our lives on the edge of breaking news in standards, design, functionality, marketing, usability, and quality, and it’s our job to know. We will be able to tell you if your site should scroll, or if a CSS option is the best way to go.
Making Sales
- By danny |
- Category: BrinkMedia. |
- No Comments |
When I was very young I heard my father constantly talking about “making sales”. I envisioned him going from boat to boat making sails for them. I was very disappointed when I finally understood what he was talking about. Being in the web services industry we have to constantly “make sales,” and yet, selling web services is fraught with issues. We are truly selling something that people don’t know much about. Even when they think they do.
Everyone has a cousin or brother in law who can build a web site, it must be so easy. And if that’s just a few pages of web layout it must have taken no time at all to code. It’s “all just templates… right?”. Everyone is both an expert and completely ignorant of how the web works all at the same time.
This makes selling web services harder than selling something that people really understand. I’m not sure why this is this case, but I think some of these perceptions come from an idea of what programmers are. Geeks. Lazy guys who sit around all day staring at computer monitors. Somehow the meme is that creating web sites is so easy that anyone with half a day of training could do it. MySpace and FaceBook didn’t help in this regard.
What I find funny is that people don’t have the same idea about car mechanics or plumbing. If your Audi engine needs a rebuild you don’t really question the mechanic who tells you it will cost $5000 to do it. People have an idea about mechanics, but nobody thinks they can do it themselves.
And yet nobody really trusts web developers.
I’m going to take up sailing.
