For those who create websites, the most important aspect is insuring that potential customers are not confused by what is presented in terms of layout, navigation and overall design. All too often, what may appear as minor inconsistencies in the design process become major issues once the website is launched.
Furthermore, website design used to be based around creating the flashiest, most attention-grabbing site to attract potential customers. However, that has changed substantially as most people are now quite familiar with those tactics. Today, the most popular approach is to use responsive design in creating an effective website.
What is Responsive Design?
Essentially, responsive design is the approach of crafting websites that provide the best viewing experience for visitors. This means that the entire approach to building and designing a website is to create a platform that is easy to follow, highlights all the important features and makes navigation as simple and direct as possible.
Of course, planning on creating a simple, intuitive website and actually achieving that goal may be two different things if you don’t have the right tools to do the job. What follows are some of the necessary tools for responsive design in creating websites.
Tools For Responsive Design
Standard Browsers
This is easily the most important tool that you have because it will reveal how your website will appear under normal conditions. Unfortunately, many web designers tend to use advanced image editors like GIMP or Photoshop to create their websites. Most people do not use these image editors when surfing the web. So it is best to use a common browser when designing websites and leave the image editors to edit your images.
Use Style Prototypes
Basically, style prototypes are like a preview of what your website will eventually look like once it is completed and running. Good style prototypes demonstrate just how the website’s color combinations, typography and other elements will look when finally completed. Another advantage is that these programs will reveal many potential issues that can be addressed before the website is up and running.
Drawing App for Google Drive
While you can use virtually any vector-based image editor to complete the job of wire-framing websites and apps, the drawing app from Google Drive offers a few advantages;
– Greater information sharing
– Automatic guides
– Consistency
– It’s Free
Although the final reason is certainly attractive, the main advantage for website designers is that they can more easily share their work through Google and get important feedback which in turn creates a better website design. The automatic guides are a plus as well since they are quite consistent resulting in fewer changes that need to be made.
Responsinator
This is a tool that shows how your website will look at different sizes. Remember that the look of your website will change considerably on different size screens. This tool helps you quickly spot potential problems in advance without having to use other devices. Although having a mobile device to view your work helps greatly.
Overall, these tools for responsive design can help create better, more intuitive websites that clients will appreciate and customers will love.
Vince is an avid reader (paper books included) and he’s currently with WebDesign.org. He’s confident that SEO and useful content will change the world for the better.
