shepx assumes that many websites we build are going to be viewed on a mobile device first.
Despite that, we design every website as a desktop-first experience.
That may seem counterintuitive, but desktop-first design sets the foundation for the most effective user experience across all platforms – desktop, tablet, and phone.
There are three reasons why this process is not just strategic, but essential for many of our projects.
Desktop design is a more complex puzzle than mobile design. Phones and tablets are naturally limited by their screen size. On a desktop, the space is larger, and that means more intricacy in guiding the user’s eyes through the experience.
Think of desktop design as laying out the feng shui of a large room.
When you have a large room, it takes more effort to design a flow that both looks great and feels natural to navigate.
If you can nail the design for a large, open space, arranging for mobile becomes simpler. It’s far easier to scale down than to try and blow up a mobile design into something that works on a widescreen monitor.
Desktop design solves a website’s biggest challenge first so every version of the site is polished and professional.
If you’re a B2C brand, mobile is king. But for B2B websites, the desktop still rules the office.
shepx designs for a lot of B2B brands where customers visit websites during the workday from laptops and desktops. These websites often need to present detailed information about a product or service with complex specs, multi-layered navigation, and extensive dashboards.
Designing these features for desktop first aligns the website environment with these customers’ behaviors and expectations.
That’s not to say B2B mobile users aren’t growing in number – they are, and mobile design remains ever-important. But a significant portion of B2B buyers are still sitting at a desk, working on a computer. Desktop-first design meets them where they are.
The third reason we design desktop-first is simple: many features just work better there.
Take videos, for example. On mobile, many browsers block auto-play. If video is an important element of communicating how your product or service works, customers lose that brand experience on their phones and tablets.
Other elements, like complex dashboards and high-resolution images, are better suited for the wider canvases of a desktop. Mobile screen size limits not just the space you have to use features, but how you can use those features effectively.
Even tech giants like Google recognize this – they limit the number of features you can interact with on their mobile products compared to their desktop products.
By starting with desktop, we design with the full array of rich features available to users. Then, we scale them down for mobile, rearranging what works while respecting the limitations of smaller screens.
At the end of the day, desktop-first design is about strategy. Scaling down a desktop website to its mobile experience is the most efficient way to create a website that converts visitors into customers.
It’s not about chasing trends or picking sides in the desktop vs. mobile debate. It’s about solving the biggest challenge first. The result is a website that looks great, functions seamlessly, and serves every user.
Want a better website that works across every device? Start with the biggest canvas. Reach out to shepx, and we can help create a design that works everywhere your audience is.
® Brand Shepherd llc • shepx is part of the Brand Shepherd herd of brands.
Steel suppy is a business of relationships and jm burns steel supply wanted the website to give buyers a sense of the competency and personality they will be working with.
JUSTIN ROBBINS – CEO, JM BURNS STEEL SUPPLY
Showcase a woman-owned steel trading business that has carved out a reputation of quality service.
Steel trading is a business of relationships and DST wanted the website to give buyers a sense of the competency and personality they will be working with.
As a woman-owned business, DST wanted the website to showcase the credentials awarded and by doing so, show new credentialing agencies of the brand’s trustworthy nature.
“jane, the owner, has created a brand that is a force to be reckoned with in a heavily male-dominated industry. crafting her brand’s website was a true honor to see come to life.”
dan crask – shepx
the website needed to be the handshake between academic scientific innovation and the capitalism marketplace.
“building the benanova brand was rewarding because we were entrusted to first craft their visual brand identity and then apply it to a robust website.”
dan crask – shepx
To eat at the half-day Cafe is a vibe unto itself. The goal was to give website visitors an experience consistent with what they’ll get during their meal.
The people of Cincinnati live and support their vast number of independent restaurants like Half Day Cafe.
Those visiting Cincinnati either know in advance or find out quickly of the great food scene. Discovering new independent restaurants is a priority for them.
“we have had the great honor of building, growing, and protecting the half day cafe website since 2008. the honor is double because their food is incredible!”
DANIEL CRASK – SHEPX
create a website that insurance professionals in need of specific data via forms can access quickly and easily.
berkshire advisor resource is a specific insurance professionals’ go-to resource for help, so long as all of the information is provided efficiently. this puts a lot of emphasis on how customers interact with the website.
the data the insurance professionals provide has to be accessible in a way that is not a time-drain on the overall process so that the specialists can get the data in the right hands.
berkshire staff need a website that is a living, breathing tool between their customers and the valuable information they rely on. everything hinges on how well the website can collect and provide data.
“They key to success with the Berkshire website was in the design of the forms. We did a deep dive into their forms and redesigned their flow for the most efficiency for everyone.”
DANIEL CRASK – SHEPX
homes require on-going maintenance to prevent costly repairs, yet many homeowners are either uninterested or unaware of every point of maintenance a home needs. simple fix handyman is a handyman service designed to make home maintenance easy and affordable for home owners.
property owners are all too familiar with the many needs for maintenance that their properties require. simple fix handyman is a service for property owners to outsource those needs so property owners have one less thing to take care of.
“I have never had anything less than an extraordinary experience. shepx are phenomenal. I will never work with anyone else when it comes to building a website!”
Adam Markesbery – Simple fix handyman
create a website that sums up the it services prospera provides while also making access to support easy.
“prospera went from an underperforming website with a lot of pages to a single-page website that surpassed expectations because we took time to understand what prospera’s customers would find most valuable from their website.”
DANIEL CRASK – SHEPX
A website experience for a top tier copywriter, without blasting the reader with verboseness.
Emilie works with a lot of brand managers and so we learned from her experience that they are usually short on time. They want a copywriter who can get to the point and do so with absolute clarity.
Business owners who see the need and value of a copywriter of Emilie’s quality are people who have tried to write concise content but found out it is very challenging. They need to see expertise in a short period of time
“Knowledgeable, outgoing and strategic, Brand Shepherd is always up to date on technology and important business-building trends.”
EMILIE D’AGOSTINO
create a website that evokes the true in-person brand experience for this one-of-a-kind title agency.
the knoxville, tennessee real estate market is hot and premier title group goes to great lengths to ensure home buyers and sellers feel right at home.
a hot real estate market is keeps its heat in large part to the realtors® who create the best deals for everyone.
ultimately, all parties involved need lenders who know what they’re doing and premier title group set out to attract partnerships with knoxville’s best lenders.
“ptg’s website was such a breath of fresh air because they truly wanted to disrupt what real estate title agencies typically feel like and do so with warmth and authentic joy. this is how a brand stands out in a hot market.”
DAN CRASK – SHEPX
