We are frequently asked by our clients what the benefits of RWD are. This is perhaps the first obstacle to overcome in the design phase!

In the earlier days of the web, working with clients to design their website was a logical, step-by-step process. The brief would progress through to structural planning and, prior to the site being built, a set of visual design templates would be produced for the client to review, decide amendments and finally approve.

Since the evolution of responsive web design (RWD), which is approximately two years (and still considered by many as an incubating methodology), the visual stage has to be a much more fluid process.

Our designers are up against an ever increasing range of devices, platforms, frameworks and scripts. The process of creating responsive websites demands a new way of working with our clients.

Most of us learn best when we can be shown what something is about. So, we organize a demonstration using a variety of devices showing how our RWD sites display and page behaviour modifies on different platforms. For further clarification, a static, non-responsive website can be shown across the devices. This is an effective but not overly demanding demonstration.

The advantages are then far easier to explain; a desktop site will render appropriate to any mobile device by the use of fluid dimensions (based on percentages and ratios rather than fixed pixels or points). The design is not code specific and so development costs are greatly reduced. RWD is triggered by browser width to influence how the content is displayed. Zoom in’s and out’s should no longer be necessary.

It’s not uncommon for our clients to seek a more in-depth understanding of RWD and our own model to code generation technology. We are always delighted to oblige.

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