We are living in a technology changing world. Every year new technologies, new frameworks and new devices are launching. Users are accessing the web product with different devices. Now, web is not limited to desktop on our workstation. It is in our pocket with mobile, it is in our living area with smart TV, It is on our wrists with smart watch and there are so, many wearable devices.
Making a mobile and web strategy to launch a new product
A good budget and time is required to make product available in multiple devices. There are many parameters that impact on the decision, which approach to choose, as each approach comes with its own strength and weakness.
Mobile strategy
Native and Hybrid are the two approaches, that make a product visibility in mobile spectrum. When we thought of mobile spectrum, different platforms (iOS, Android, Window and BlackBerry) come into view.
Native Approach
“A platform specific development”, where different codebase has to be developed for different platforms.
Hybrid Approach
“A mixed of web and native code”, just one codebase need to be developed to get the different platform’s application.
Some parameters to make choice between native and hybrid approach
User Experience – Native wins
Hybrid application has slow performance, lacks in smooth scrolling; smooth performance of animation, flickers is seen in hybrid apps, big apps runs out of memory when people spend more time in it.
Cost of Development – Hybrid wins
Native application development required expensive platform specific developers. Different design and development is needed for different platforms.
Maintainability – Hybrid wins
Native approach is a platform specific development. Any changes in the future required updates in all different platforms.
Smooth Animation – Native wins
Web animation of hybrid app cannot match the performance and smoothness of native app
High Graphics – Native wins
High resolution graphics looks and maintained better in native.
Development Time – Hybrid wins
Hybrid application required just one codebase to make presence in different platforms.
Mobile strategy – Conclusion
Native approach is better in terms of user experience, but it required good budget and time. If you have good budget go with native approach, as user experience plays vital role in the success of a product.
User experience of hybrid app can be improved as there are many good frameworks like “ionic” that gives close to native experience.
A good front end developer can make user experience better in the hybrid approach but it’s a far stretch
Web Strategy
Web is the cheapest and best way to make a product presence in different devices from mobile to large smart TV. Responsive and Adaptive are the two different approaches that make product presence on the web.
Traditional approach of making a product available in the different devices was “Fluid Design” but users want better experience now.
Adaptive Web Design approach
“Different layout for different device or viewport” In AWD approach new design and codebase is created for different viewport of different devices, and a check is applied. If user is accessing the product from the checked device or viewport, relevant code is sent.
Responsive Web Design
“Change layout on different viewport” in RWD approach presentation layer is changed using the media query.
Some parameters to make a choice between adaptive and responsive approach
User Experience – Adaptive wins
AWD changes the UI as per the device, user is accessing. Users feel better experience when they find the experience they are used to.
Maintainability – Responsive wins
Any changes required in the future will demand changes in all the different codebase that has been created in AWD approach. But in RWD, only presentation layer has to be changed.
Cost of Development – RWD wins
Creating a new codebase for all the different viewport and devices will demand more cost in adaptive web design approach.
Web Strategy – Conclusion
Responsive web design is the cheapest approach that makes a product presence in the different devices. It has evolved to a mature level to give better user experience. Better user experience can be achieved by taking a mixed approach of RWD and AWD. RWD should be the main approach and adaptive only wherever required.
