“Organizing Mobile” by Luke Wroblewski is a great article for modern web designers and those who wish to continue down this path in the future. Although it is two years old, I found this article pretty much right on point and not overly outdated. It was refreshing!
The first thing Wroblewski covered was that clear labeling, balanced breadth and depth, and appropriate mental models are very important when designing for mobile devices. However, he also touched on a few other rules that are important to keep in mind but can easily be forgotten. These rules are:
1. Align with how people use their mobile devices and why
2. Emphasize content over navigation
3. Provide relevant options for exploration and pivoting
4. Maintain clarity and focus
5. Align with mobile behaviors
Designing for a mobile device is unique. It can’t be thought of as the same as desktop design. Wroblewski points out that because of this fact, you can’t simply do what worked for you on the desktop and apply that to a mobile device – it oftentimes doesn’t make sense. Instead, Wroblewski emphasizes that you must think about what mobile is uniquely good at and align it with the needs of your customers.
There are three critical mobile behaviors: micro-tasking, “I’m local,” and “I’m bored.”
Micro-tasking: Something important to me keeps changing or updating and I want to stay on top of it. I need to get something done now that can’t wait.
“I’m local”: I need an answer to something now—frequently related to my current location in the world.
“I’m bored”: I have some time to kill and just want a few idle time distractions.
I found that categorizing the reasons why people pull out their mobile devices is very helpful for determining how your own mobile web design should work. You have to connect with your buyer and know when people are doing things, how they’re doing them, and why. Being able to effectively get inside the heads of your customers naturally aligns your website with real-world needs. It’s also important to remember that time is often precious on mobile devices and downloads can cost money, so get people to what they came for as soon as you can.
I though the “back” button observation made by Wroblewski was really good. I have never even noticed before that some sites or some phones have multiple back buttons. That gets confusing for users and that’s definitely something to keep in mind when designing a website.