- birdland
The mobile web is arguably the next frontier for information design. Some of the best web designers are already building for the new mobile infrastructure and some are even writing about it. We're on the cusp of a new generation of mobile devices. With more people seeing the web through handheld browsers, how should ASU approach this new medium? Which online services should be made available to mobile devices first? Should ASU web designers begin to test their pages in mobile devices? Should we be designing specifically for the "handheld" media type? If so, will a special stylesheet suffice, or should we consider serving up a separate version of the page that is purposely light on content and style?
How many of you are already designing with mobile in mind? Care to share any tips, tricks or methods?
I'm becoming more interested in the topic as I receive emails from VPs that start "I was looking at your site on my Blackberry..." Thankfully, none of them have been bad, but mobile devices usage is increasing.
I found the Opera Mini Simulator interesting because I think more and more devices are getting actual web browsers. The dev.Opera site has some interesting tips for designing on small screens. My interpretation is that it really boils down to good coding practices, efficient code and an awareness of accessibility and context (CSS for different media).