4 Mistakes in Responsive Design That Designers Consistently Make and How to Avoid Them

Andrew Lowen, CEO, Next Level WebAs the standards of responsive design are evolving continuously, the goal remains the same; optimization and user experience. While executing the responsive design strategies, the designers, no matter the ability and experience, tend to ignore some basic aspects of responsive design that eventually cost the design itself or the user experience.Let's look at 4 basic design mistakes that designers continue to make while designing for responsiveness.Not Having the Mobile-First ApproachThe mobile internet users account for more than half of the global internet users. If you are not prioritizing the mobile-first approach in your responsive design, you are simply making a mistake.It is true that desktop sites still matter, but if you ever have to compromise on some design options, we highly recommend that you better do it for the desktop rather than the mobile. For example, if you have to decide on the optimal icon sizes, you should choose a size that best fits the mobile screens rather than the desktop.Negative SpacesFor a designer, deciding on the amount and location of negative spaces is a big challenge. Negative spaces can make or break the whole design ethic of a site. Surely, the negative space is as important as the positive space on a webpage because it not only provides a balance to the page but also encourages the audience to focus on what's important.To get an idea of using the negative space in a better manner, here are some 'brilliant examples', some 'mesmerizing examples', and also some 'clever examples.' For content-rich websites, negative space is a choice; and it depends on the ability of the designer to add and then optimize the negative spaces in a website.Sticking to a Single PlatformWhen it comes to responsive designs, we have an unlimited number of choices when it comes to selecting the development software or platform. Designers, who prefer to choose a single software/platform for across-the-board development, make a wrong choice. This is because as the medium changes, so do the optimization values. A website builder can work perfectly well for a desktop site, but it is not necessary that it will perform to its best on mobile as well.Responsive design is all about being the most presentable regardless of the device; and if a specific platform restricts a website from performing well across the platform, it’s better for a designer to look at different options. By sticking to a specific platform because you feel comfortable with and easy to work on, you’re not doing justice to both the job and an employer.Not Reviewing Third Party CodesUsing code templates is a normal thing for the designers; however, it is important that you test the code beforehand; especially for the responsive design. Testing the code is usually the last step after the website is built, but for the responsive design, it is important that the code template works perfectly on different mediums.Take this famous case as an example; Shawn DeWolfe, a designer, used a JavaScript API in a web page, and realized only after completing the design that the API was causing a delay in loading the page; of up to 7 seconds! So, after doing all the hard work to load the page in 3-4 second, you may accidentally add another few seconds by adding a code that takes time in processing.Final WordsAs a designer, as you continue learning new skills and strategies to stay ahead of the game, reminding yourself of the basic mistakes in responsive design is also very important. Hopefully, the mistakes discussed here will help you avoid them in your next project.