The digital world continues to evolve as the race to create great user experiences continues faster. Along with providing a good product, and various features, an incredible user experience is crucial too.
As the sizes of the device’s screens adjust, it is significant for designers to figure out a feasible way for information consumption.
While you are looking for efficient strategies that align with devices, we have decided to dive deeper into two of the most widely used design approaches.
Responsive vs. adaptive – which one is the best? Read the blog to find out.
Table of Contents
What Is Responsive Design?
Responsive design uses one layout and adjusts the content, navigation, and other elements of the page to fit the user’s screen. This is done by using a single layout to fit into a screen. This approach responds to the size of the browser.
When the site detects available space, it selects the most appropriate layout for the screen.
The responsive design is built on a flexible grid, so regardless of your device, the elements of the layout will remain constant by lining up on the grid. Rather than creating everything, such as the content and design, from scratch, this approach also allows designers to work on a template.
Content management systems such as WordPress offer web page templates that help designers pull off a responsive website design.
Google recommended responsive design, making it the choice of those creating new websites.
The different screen sizes used in an adaptive design are known as breakpoints.
When the design is supposed to be adopted on three devices, these are three breakpoints to represent how the design will react.
Responsive UI design uses media queries to target breakpoints. These breakpoints can scale text, wrap images, and adjust the layout to fit it into multiple layouts.
Besides the above features, Google’s algorithm also recognizes mobile-friendly websites that can help with a high ranking.
Pros
- The design process requires less time
- Responsive design creates consistency
- Optimized for SEO
- Easier and takes less work to implement
- Uniform and seamless for a good UX
- Various templates to choose from
- Fewer maintenance tasks
- Avoids excessive consumer spending
Cons
- The websites can have a longer load time
- Download times can also depend on the type of device
- Less control on how the page looks when it is resized
- Difficulty integrating advertisements
When Is It Ideal To Use Responsive Design?
Responsive design is suited for -
- Small to medium-sized firms that need to polish their existing website
- New businesses that need to build websites from scratch
For service-based industries, because their websites are primarily made up of text and images.
What Is Adaptive Design?
The adaptive design employs multiple sizes of a fixed layout. It adapts to the widths of the browser at specific points.
Adaptive design reconfigures the design elements irrespective of the devices it is viewed on. Different fixed layouts are created to adapt to the user’s screen.
The website is concerned with being of a specific width. Adaptive sites use various fixed designs that automatically appear on the corresponding display screens. Hence resizing the browser doesn’t have an impact on the layout.
An adaptive web design is created for the six most common screen widths.
Adaptive website design detects the screen size and then chooses a static layout from a library of options. However, creating multiple widths of the same website might be tedious for the designers.
Adaptive website design can also measure which views and resolution options perform better. You can save time, money, and effort by keeping a finger on what performs well.
Pros
- Detects the user’s device and adapts the template being used to fit the user’s screen.
- Allows having greater control over the design and the other elements
- Results in less time are used to adapt each layout per each device.
- Loads the page at a faster speed
- Mobile devices can sense the user’s environment
- They adapt to the users’ situational needs and capabilities.
- Targeted for each user
- Optimized for advertising
Cons
- Labor intensive to create separate pages
- Difficult to maintain
- Requires more team members making it expensive
- You need to update your code whenever a new device is released
When To Use Adaptive design?
Adaptive design is best for -
- Existing complex websites that need a mobile version
- Speed-dependent websites
- Targeted experience - can adapt to location, speed, and connection
- Firms that need more control
Adaptive vs Responsive Factors To Consider
From bulky desktops, information is now consumed on various devices. This leads to the need to check how the information interacts with the device efficiently.
As the context substantially impacts the design decisions, it makes it all the more vital for designers to create a consistent user experience.
No matter what technique you use, noting your user’s interest is a primary factor. Conducting a survey or research can give you insights into their habits and preferences. Once you know your audience and the devices they use, it will be easier to design your layouts accordingly.
These insights can also be collected with Google Analytics, Quality Assurance (QA) testing, or basic focus group testing before, during, and after the product launch. This can help you know the exact aspect that needs improvement.
Another factor to consider is the devices your audiences use. Different tools can be used for varied purposes, such as a tablet for content consumption, while a desktop for detailed workflows. Outlining which tools your audience mainly uses can also help you to pick one of the two.
Make notes if you are working on a new or existing site, as putting the finger on your deliverables can also help determine which approach will help the best.
Keep the project constraints in mind, such as project timelines, financial and human resources, etc. An accurate and detailed plan of action can help complete the project efficiently.
The expected device functionalities can also go a long way in delivering an accurate eCommerce UI.
Apart from other devices, this process is similar to mobile phones too. 47% of consumers expect a web page to load in 2 seconds or less. For example, mobile devices can leverage features such as GPS biometric ID, Bank card scanning, and QR code reading that can drastically improve the UX.
Here are some more features that you should consider:
1. Gestures
Options such as pinching, zooming, or sliding the images can help you finalize a website design approach. Executing these features helps with a smooth custom website user experience.
For example - sliding a long list might not be a wise choice on a tablet or a mobile phone.
UI elements should also be a comfortable and tappable size for a superior user experience. Unable to deliver the same could lead to a frustrating experience.
2. Layout hierarchy
The site visitor’s browser window determines the layout hierarchy.
The key message should stand out as prominent, which makes it essential for the vital function of the page to be highlighted.
Designers should also note promoting features such as a call to action prominent throughout the pages.
3. Navigation
Ensuring consistency within the customer experience results in clarity which can help in more straightforward navigation.
There are many reusable design patterns to leverage that designers can make use of. As there is no one-size-fits-all approach, you must carefully consider which design will suit your requirements.
To establish smooth navigation, designers should thoroughly test before implementing significant changes.
Since interaction models vary between devices, design patterns can help translate navigation across experiences to maintain consistency.
Using similar templates throughout the website will make your users more comfortable using your product.
4. Tabs
Tabs are mostly used on mobile phones and can be found on the top or the bottom of mobile screens. More priority is given to the horizontal space as only a specific number of tabs can fit.
The navigation element and spacings can be used wisely to display detailed menus without causing screen fatigue to the user.
Responsive vs. Adaptive - Key Differences
Responsive design primarily works with an infinite number of sizes. Responsive design also tends to perform better with SEO, as search engines give more consideration to mobile-friendly sites.
A Responsible website design is preferable when a website is built from scratch and contains multiple pages.
On the other hand, Adaptive design is ideal for enhancements and web redesigns, as these tasks don’t require an overhaul. They also load faster because they only deliver the necessary code to load a page.
Response design is relatively easier on the back end, requiring designers to do less work.
Responsive vs. Adaptive Web Design- Takeaways
A company’s website is an imperative medium that speaks to your audience. A bad experience may lead to lost opportunities and dwindled ROI. 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience.
Aligning your user goals, content strategy, and design is crucial for a cohesive and consistent user experience. And this makes it key to weigh the pros and cons of these elements to confirm which one can help with a functional and seamless experience.
Both design approaches make web pages functional, consistent, and accessible. However, what sets them apart is their flexibility, complexity, and approaches highly differ. A solid web design agency excels at both and provides sturdy solutions to their clients, as does a responsive web design company.
