Design · · 2 min read
Mobile-first design: why I always start with the phone
Designing for the small screen first forces you to decide what really matters. Here's how I apply it and what your site gains.
When I design a site, the first thing I sketch is the mobile version. It's not a quirk: it's the most effective way I know to build clear pages.
The small screen forces you to prioritise
On a computer almost everything fits, so it's easy to fill the page with elements nobody needs. On a phone there's no room for doubt: you have to decide what comes first, what comes next and what goes.
That exercise improves the desktop version too, because it starts with a hierarchy that's already been thought through.
What I look after on mobile
- Readable text without zooming, at a comfortable size and with lines that aren't too long.
- Buttons that are easy to tap, spaced apart with enough room.
- Contact always within reach: a call button, WhatsApp or the form, depending on what your customers use.
- Light images, sized for the screen so they don't waste data.
- Simple menus, with few options and clear names.
Then, desktop
With the mobile foundation in place, I expand: more columns, bigger images, more breathing room. The content is the same; what changes is how it's laid out.
How I check it
I test every page on real phones, not just in the browser's simulator. Some details, like thumb reach or sunlight on the screen, only show up that way.
A good site isn't the one that looks good on the designer's screen, but the one that works in your customer's pocket.