As the way we design websites at kc web design kent changes and responsive design becomes the normal way to build websites then so do the tools and processes we use. On a recent responsive web design project we decided to work in a different way and leave design until last. The process we used was client and business goal exploration, wire framing, prototyping responsive layouts in the browser using Zurb Foundation and then applying the design elements. The beauty of working this way is that all the goals, call-to-action points and key features are defined before any design decisions are made on colours, textures and look & feel.
At kc web design kent and many other web design studios the way we work is always changing and evolving and this new way of working in the browser can feel quite strange if you’re used to designing flat comps in Photoshop that you then turn into HTML. The problem with responsive web design and flat design mockups is that its very difficult to design various versions of the website for different screen sizes and then turn those into real web pages. Its far easier for you as a web designer to think about layout first for multiple screen sizes before any design elements are thought about. It’s also easier for the client to visualise responsive layouts and see them working as a prototype in the browser. Explaining responsive web design and it’s benefits can be tricky so allowing the client to see how it works and how the layout adapts at an early stage can be very helpful.
From a pure design point of view it’s also very interesting to get to the design stage with all the layouts and elements in the right place and working on all devices. All we then do at this stage is concentrate on colour schemes and style guides and images and textures. Working this way allows you to focus on each stage properly and also lets the client be subjective about each stage of the project and build without having to look at one or two flat design comps and have to make a decision on all aspects of the layout and design at one time.
Working this way on our new project has been very successful and we’ll be doing more designing in the browser on responsive web design projects at kc web design kent from now on.
kc web design kent are experts in responsive web design so if you need your current site made accessible to all mobile devices then give us a call today.