{"id":1892,"date":"2012-04-13T11:57:50","date_gmt":"2012-04-13T10:57:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.maratz.com\/blog\/?p=1892"},"modified":"2012-12-23T14:37:22","modified_gmt":"2012-12-23T13:37:22","slug":"nielsens-mobile-vs-full-sites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.maratz.com\/blog\/archives\/2012\/04\/13\/nielsens-mobile-vs-full-sites\/","title":{"rendered":"Nielsen\u2019s Mobile vs. Full sites"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jacob Nielsen, a usability guru wrote a controversial set of guidelines covering mobile vs full site usability<\/a> where he suggested that we should build separate versions of a website for each device.<\/p>\n

Many respected designers responded negatively<\/a> \u2014 to say the least \u2014 and while I have to agree that we shouldn\u2019t build lighter mobile website versions, let\u2019s go deeper and take into consideration the research results that were the foundation for Nielsen\u2019s advice.<\/p>\n

Yes, for many \u2014 especially the 3rd World, where education resources are limited anyway \u2014 the mobile site is the only site they\u2019ll ever encounter and we must provide access by anyone regardless of devices they use. Yet, we are still in the experimental stage with mobile design and web design in general \u2014 that even an opposite opinion can be valuable to identify some broader challenges, for instance: Why the \u201cfull site\u201d performance is so poor when accessed with a mobile device?<\/p>\n

This is where Mobile First<\/a> comes into play. By placing all useful content (i.e. everything but a cheesy marketing and superfluous decorations) into the mobile context, it\u2019s easy to establish a corner-stone for any device experience. The real question is not \u201cseparate sites vs. universal site?\u201d, it\u2019s \u201cwhich device should be covered first?\u201d We already know the answer, right?<\/p>\n

Creating different navigation systems and optimized experience across devices can be easily accomplished with some clever CSS and JavaScript, which is basically building on top of universal HTML layer. That doesn\u2019t require a separate website and we know how to do it for several years now.<\/p>\n

The one category where you\u2019d probably have to create (user-friendlier) mobile \/ tablet version is news sites and blogs with advertising based revenue scheme, but that\u2019s a story for another occasion.<\/p>\n

Usability testing is for producers and clients<\/h2>\n

Usability testing, user research and analytics are essential design tools. However, over the years it became quite obvious that the true value of UI testing is not in the actual set of findings or usability experts\u2019 recommendations, but in the switch happening in the heads of project team members.<\/p>\n

Simply watching others struggling with your interface \u2014 and a number of users always will, no matter how good the interface is \u2014 forces you to think more about the general concept instead of the technical details. It brings up some fundamental questions about the project\u2019s goals, the core feature set etc. Technical problems are important, but those are easily solved or avoided altogether once you identify them. The real trouble is when you miss the general concept.<\/p>\n

Draw your own conclusions<\/h2>\n

Nielsen\u2019s articles almost always offer an interpretation of the key findings. Still, use each finding as a mere recommendation instead of a comply-or-die rule. Use the numbers and facts presented \u2014 they are the most valuable take-away \u2014 and draw your own conclusions.<\/p>\n

A few useful articles:<\/p>\n