BDConf: Jenifer Hanen presents A Minimalist’s Guide to the Mobile Web

In A Minimalist’s Guide to the Mobile Web, Jenifer Hanen (@msjen) breaks down how you can strip things away to keep mobile web experiences performant and lovely.

• Donald Judd created a more minimal art form in response to the busyness of the abstract expressionists.
• Minimalism is where the simplest elements are used to create the maximum effect.

• Minimalism isn’t the art of cutting corners, but rather the merging for form and function such that the human who uses the site or app can complete their task in an enjoyable way.
• Some good user questions to ask when designing an experience: Can I find what I want? Do I know what I want? Can I get my task done?
• Will sticking to minimalism principles cause you to lose clients who are interested in cramming the kitchen sink into an experience? Stick to your guns and help them understand how a more minimalist experience can be a much better user experience.
• Don’t let the flashier tools distract from you from focusing on the user. It’s about the user’s joy, not yours.
• Excesses can also come in the form of our assumptions and prejudices. “But why doesn’t everyone just get an iPhone?” isn’t a feasible strategy.
• Not everyone has 20/20 vision. Not everyone is literate. Keep accessibility in the front of your mind.
• Designing for minimalism sets the team free to apply complexity where it is most needed. You can make room for complexity by starting with a simple foundation.
• Interaction minimalism: There are over 200 available gestures for the iPhone. Not all are relevant for your interfaces.
• Visual minimalism: images, content, navigation, design elements, layout & columns
• Code minimalism: focus on site performance and code cleanliness. Device detection mobile-first responsive web design, Responsive Images. Reduce HTTP requests. Lean code: Javascript.