Mobile website design is something that you may already be familiar with. The web design trend that is also known as responsive website design is not a new concept.

The origin of mobile web design can be traced back to 1996 when website design pioneer Glenn Davis developed and popularized the technique of liquid layout that was flexible and adaptable to different screen sizes.

Website designers advanced the technique further over the years.

In 2004, web developer Cameron Adams proposed a technique called resolution-dependent layout using JavaScript. It involved detecting the screen size of users to display the appropriate website layout.

Another web designer Zoe Gillenwater published a book Flexible Web Design in 2010 in which she proposed an elastic layout for a consistent appearance to web page layouts across multiple screen sizes. During the same year, web developer Ethan Marcotte proposed a new approach to flexible website design that he termed responsive website design.

Mobile Web Design: The Present and the Future

Mobile website design uses a responsive web design approach. It involves writing codes that give an optimal viewing experience to users who visit websites using their mobile devices.

With the introduction of mobile smartphones in the late 2000s by Apple, Samsung, Nokia, and Blackberry, website developers started creating websites for the smaller screen. They used liquid layout, resolution-dependent layout, elastic design, fluid grids, flexible images and other know techniques. It ushered in an era of mobile web design that has become mainstream today among web developers and will continue to do so in the years ahead.

Google realized the growing importance of mobile website design. In 2015, the search engine giant introduced an algorithm update dubbed Mobilegeddon that ranked mobile-friendly websites higher in mobile search results.

According to Google, the characteristics of a mobile-friendly web page include:

• Readable text that doesn’t require zooming or tapping
• Appropriately spaced tap targets
• Avoid display of ‘unplayable content’ such as horizontal scrolling

Website developers must create a website that offers a seamless user experience (UX) across multiple devices and screens. And the use of CSS styling, fluid grids, and resolution-dependent layout help achieve this objective by creating websites that display well across different devices.

Why Mobile Web Design is Important?

Creating a mobile-friendly website offers various advantages such as improved traffic, increased conversions and a professional image.

As most people today visit a website using mobile devices, the website design must meet the requirement of present devices as well as the devices of the future.

In 2021, mobile devices represented 92.6 percent of web page views globally. This means that most people will likely view only the mobile version of the website. The trend is likely to continue in the future making it important for web developers to get a mastery over the technique.

Mobile Web Design Trends to Think About

Mobile devices keep evolving, requiring web designers to adapt and adjust. It is important to keep up with the mobile web design trends to ensure a seamless experience for the users.

Here we look at the key mobile web design trends to think about in the years ahead.

1. Mobile Design for Foldable Screens

Foldable mobiles are increasingly becoming popular. The latest stats show that about 819,000 foldable phones were sold in Q2 2021. The sales of foldable phones are expected to surge 112 percent in 2022 reaching 15.9 million.

While Royal FlexiPai was the first foldable phone, it was the Samsung Galaxy Fold that captured the interest of global consumers.

Foldable phones have a folding screen. The features allow a phone to serve both as a smartphone and table. This particular design has presented opportunities for innovative ways to display a website. But it has also created new challenges for web developers.

Designing a website for phones that fold horizontally is particularly a problem. Folding out the phone increases the phone screen space. Web designers need to write codes in a way that folding and unfolding the phone does not mess with the display of the website.

Typography is another challenge for web designers when it comes to foldable phones. Depending on the screen size, the headings, text, and columns will display differently. It requires going beyond responsive website design techniques to incorporate novel methods for displaying the website correctly.

Website developers need to write codes that allow seamless change of display as users fold and unfold the screen.

Web page developers should consider a minimalistic approach when designing websites that display best on foldable screens. They must adapt JavaScript and CSS to address challenges presented by foldable design.

2. Web Design for Flip Phones

Flip phones like Galaxy Z Flip fold vertically unlike the foldable phones that fold horizontally. Designing a responsive website for flip phones is easier.

You need to determine the fold area where the screen splits into two regions. The average fold line of flip screens is about 1000 pixels wide. It is important to ensure that the content above the fold and below the fold is balanced.

Don’t try to put too much information above the fold line. Readers should be able to easily read the information across the split line of a flip phone.

3. Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is at the moment only a concept for mobile phones. But it has the potential to take off in the years ahead.

Apple has implemented the LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor in their latest models – iPhone 12 Pro, iPad Pro, and iPad Pro Max. The feature allows users to measure objects by pointing a sensor at them, which shoots a beam of light to map the area and objects inside it. It is one of the crude implementations of AR in mobile phones.

Website designers can use AR features of a mobile phone to display augmented information. For instance, a website can use a LiDAR sensor to measure the area of an object and automatically convert it into the desired metrics. Website apps can also use AR features for creating a more immersive and engaging UX.

How to Adapt to Evolving Mobile Trends in Web Design

Although mobile phones are evolving, the basics of creating a positive US remain the same. Users expect a seamless experience across multiple devices. Web designers need to design the website based on the mobile screen features and dimensions.

1. User Engagement

User engagement is important when designing a website. It is important to focus on a design that influences users to take the required action.

Focus on creating a landing page that provides all the relevant information in an organized manner. Moreover, the website design should incorporate visuals and elements that attract the attention of the users.

2. Flexible Layout

Flexible layout is the key to a responsive mobile web design. The layout should automatically adjust based on the size of the screen. It should be able to display the content perfectly in both traditional smartphones and the latest foldable and flappable phones.

You need to make sure that the website displays correctly on both tablets and smartphones.

The focus should be to maximize the mobile website browsing experience in a limited space. Users should be able to easily read the content without taking any action. Images should scale based on a percentage value of the width of the mobile browser screen.

The mobile website design needs to be adaptable. It is recommended to create multiple versions of a website for different browser widths. You can create a layout of 500 pixels, 500-800 pixels, and over 800 pixels. Creating multiple layouts is generally easier to design and test as compared to the fluid scaling method.

3. Gesture Navigation

Most people prefer interacting with a website using their fingers. A mobile website design should allow users to pinch to zoom in and out of the page. Instead of navigating images in a gallery using small buttons, you should allow users to scroll by swiping left and right.

An important consideration when designing a website for small screens is the width of the users’ fingers. Apple recommends that the touch UI element should be more than 44 pixels. In contrast, Google suggests 34 pixels for the tappable UI element. But make sure that the touch target for your mobile web design is no less than 24 pixels.

4. Test the Design

Web designers should test the website design across multiple screen sizes and browsers. You should test the website on all available website browsers. Displaying a message urging users to use a specific browser is a lazy attitude to mobile web design. It will alienate a lot of users who will prefer not browsing the website instead of installing a different browser just to view your website.

You should also consider testing the website design across multiple screen sizes. This is the best approach that will ensure that your website displays the best regardless of the phone used to browse your website.

If you can’t afford to buy different mobile devices, another less accurate approach is to use Google’s resizer tool. This app allows you to preview your website on different mobile devices.

5. Implement CSS Media Query

CSS Media Query is a type of website design code that allows it to automatically scale based on the screen. The code allows you to apply CSS only when a specific condition is met. For instance, you can use media queries to create a rule for implementing a specific style when the size of the screen is 320 px or less. The website layout will adjust automatically when the specified condition is met.

Using the CSS Media Query allows you to apply a style when the device and browser environment matches the conditions. They allow you to create different layouts for different device screen sizes and browsers. A simple media query appears as follows.

@media media-type and (media-feature-rule) {
  /*specific CSS conditions*/
}

In the above code, the media type specifies the type of media code to the browser. The media-feature rule specifies that the code contains conditions that must be met to execute the code. You can then specify the CSS conditions for displaying specific layouts based on the mobile screen and browser used for accessing the website.

Conclusion

As the mobile device interface and layouts evolve, web designers also need to develop novel ways to display the website. The emergence of new phone designs requires a refocus on the UI to create a seamless UX.

UX is the most important thing when it comes to mobile web design. Web designers should create a responsive website design while considering the requirements of users who browse sites using different mobile devices.

Web developers need to keep up with the trends in mobile web design. They need to aim for a positive mobile UX as it will improve SEO ranking, bring more traffic, and boost conversion rates.