: Definitive way to describe Responsive Web Design to a layperson? Normally when I describe RWD to a non-web person (and bear in mind this might be a non-technical manager or a client), I'll
Normally when I describe RWD to a non-web person (and bear in mind this might be a non-technical manager or a client), I'll say something like:
The site will be designed in such a way that it will display well on mobiles and tablets and other handheld devices with smaller screens as well as on laptops and desktops with larger screens
I often see the hesitation in their eyes as if to say
What is this guy on about? I'm not an idiot. It should do all that anyway! Is he just trying to take longer / bill me for more hours / charge more for a project and conjuring up some jargon to excuse himself?
What is a better way to describe a design-approach which sounds (to a layperson) like it ought to be completely unnecessary in the first place.
Would it be better to say:
I'll design the site responsively - that means you'll get two sites in one, a mobile site as well as a desktop site.
Is there a definitive way to describe Responsive Web Design to a layperson so the benefits are self-evident and it doesn't sound like something suspicious is going on?
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A responsive website is a single website that will look good on devices of various screen sizes without the need for horizontal scrolling, zooming, or server side device detection.
At this point, a demonstration would help clarify. Open a responsive site on the desktop and drag the window smaller and larger. If a demo is not available, here is additonal explanation:
The site is able to re-format itself on the fly depending on the screen size. On mobile devices it will appear as a narrow column. On wider screens the main column will get wider and there may be room for additional sidebar content. Images can grow and shrink as needed. Font sizes can be adjusted to make text fit better on different screens.
It is also possible to hide unnecessary elements on small screens. In addition, completely different versions of an element may be included such that only one appears -- whichever is more appropriate for the screen size.
I use the word "responsive" just in case the client has heard of the term before. Then I insist on saying that the site or page "adapts" to the screen and device cause that's what it does and most people seem to understand that.
"Two sites in one" is over-the-top for me, I think "transforming", "flexible" or "adapting" pages are what it is all about. Also, you can show some non-responsive website (maybe a website of your client`s competitor?) loaded in a mobile browser and tell what kind of work is needed to make such "etched in stone" pages responsive.
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