DIGITAS PERSPECTIVE
June 2012
A Future-Forward Web Strategy:Target People, Not Devices
Web professionals are always searching for innovative ways to connect with people. Today’s evolvingdevice landscape, shaped by the explosion of mobile computing, brings with it many new opportunities.However, delivering an optimized Web experience to all the various Internet-connected devices is provingto be a challenge.Over the past few years, demand has increased for device-specific Web experiences: a main site fordesktops, a mobile version for smartphones and, more recently, a version optimized for tablets. On thesurface, this approach seems to work. But there are consequences that should give one pause.Multiple, device-specific websites cost more to design, build, and maintain. Strategic decisions based ontoday’s evolving device landscape are outdated tomorrow. Inconsistent cross-device experiencesfrustrate users and distance them from the content and services they sought in the first place.The current rate of device fragmentation is only going to accelerate. The quantity and diversity of Web-enabled devices, many of which have yet to be imagined, will continue to skyrocket—as will the quantityand diversity of people who use them. As the medium evolves, existing processes and practices mustadapt in parallel to take advantage of these new opportunities. To stay ahead of the curve, to deliverbeautiful, usable, and memorable experiences, Web professionals are challenged to think beyond therigidity of fixed-width, device-specific Web pages.
Enter, Progressive Enhancement
Digital fragmentation is as old as the Internet itself. Historically, fragmentation has been addressed eitherthrough a lowest-common-denominator (LCD) approach or by creating targeted, device-specific solutionsfocused on narrow market segments. LCD solutions are durable and have tremendous reach but arerightfully accused of being dull and uninviting. Conversely, targeted solutions deliver a highly optimizedexperience but lack proper reach and are ill-suited to a quickly evolving digital landscape.Progressive enhancement is a “no compromise” alternative that strives to deliver the best possibleexperience to the widest possible audience. At its core, progressive enhancement is about scaling upfrom the minimum instead of scaling down from the maximum. It all starts with a strong core of universallyaccessible content. Layers of enhancements are applied methodically to tailor the experience and exploitthe unique capabilities of each viewing environment. Web experiences fashioned this way are SEO-friendly and interactive, rich, and accessible all at the same time.As an overarching strategy, progressive enhancement is ideally suited to projects and campaigns thatneed to be both accessible and compelling. Progressive enhancement is inclusive by nature, so it is thesuperior approach for targeting consumers in today’s shifting digital landscape. Using progressiveenhancement as a lens, teams can maximize reach across the entire spectrum of devices and contexts,dream up new ways to engage consumers, and still deliver the compelling Web experiences that clientsexpect.
Lead with Structured Content
Every Web page begins with a constant, something that is knowable and unchangeable. Theconstant acts as the foundation from which a page takes its shape. In print design, the constant
DIGITAS PERSPECTIVE
June 2012
is the artist’s canvas. In “traditional” Web design, the constant is the desktop browser window. In bothmediums, the content is constrained by the fixed, physical dimensions of its container.But the reality is that today’s browsers come in all shapes and sizes. We don’t have the luxury of thefixed-width canvas, and the big, upfront design process no longer suits the medium. Effective design fortoday’s devices requires that we think about content early in the process.Strategies that prioritize content are able to deliver a more meaningful experience to a broader audience.By elevating the content over its container, teams are better situated to (1) make knowledgeabledecisions around design and presentation, (2) drive a consistent user experience across a range ofviewing contexts, and (3) ensure that content is portable to future platforms through effective CMSarchitecture.To properly optimize content for a range of viewing contexts, consider the following points:1. Assemble content in ways that can be distributed to multiple devices and contexts.2. Identify and prioritize content that remains consistent across all contexts.3. Create supplemental content that takes advantage of each unique context.Once a solid foundation of well-structured content has been established, content can be distributed tovarious contexts—starting with mobile.
Think Mobile First
Mobile use is surging. Smartphone sales have overtaken PC and tablet sales combined, leaving mobilepoised to become the dominant computing platform. A mobile-first strategy capitalizes on this enormousgrowth and enables teams to discover new ways to engage consumers. Mobile devices feature uniquecharacteristics that can contribute to higher-value propositions. These characteristics include:1. Personal Connection: Mobile devices have become extensions of their owners to a greater degree thanother devices.2. Portability and Accessibility: Mobile devices provide convenient, always-on accessibility.3. Geo-local Awareness: Mobile devices travel with their users and are able to pinpoint their real-timelocation.4. Sensory Nature: Mobile devices enable verbal cues and commands, touch screens, and optics.Additionally, the mobile-first strategy provides value in an area that is often overlooked – scalability. Themobile context is more restrictive, eclectic, and unstable than its desktop counterpart. Mobile screens aresmall, the devices are less powerful, and Internet connectivity varies greatly. Solving for these issues first,and scaling up from the mobile context instead of scaling down from the desktop, guarantees theexperience remains intact as the screen real estate and connection speed increase. Scaling down fromthe desktop can distort the experience as it is squeezed into the mobile context. Mobile acts as a filterand helps to prioritize and surface meaningful content. When a project prioritizes mobile first, the endresult is an experience focused on a user’s needs without the extraneous detours and general filler thatafflict today's desktop-oriented Web sites.
Challenge Assumptions about Context
The surge in mobile computing brought with it a heightened sensitivity to a user’s context (the set ofcircumstances under which something happens). Traditional thinking says that mobile users are
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A Future Forward Web Strategy: Target People, Not Devices
Today's evolving device landscape brings with it many new opportunities, Michael Halunen, Principle Software Engineer, Technology, Digitas, explains how to target people, not devices.
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