Datasheet
CHAPTER ONE FUTUREPROOF SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES
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Consideration #5: Redesign versus realign
If you choose to accommodate various browsing environments, such as the use of speci c
devices or products by creating separate layouts, you must determine whether to build a
new layout entirely from scratch or to realign an existing site’s design (if one exists) to
consider the more diverse uses being asked of it. Ultimately, situations will exist when a
new and separate layout may be bene cial (perhaps for a mobile-only service that’s not
available for desktops), but in the vast majority of cases, keeping sites together requires
less work.
Calculating whether to redesign or realign may be easy, depending on the state of the site
in question. For example, if the layout is falling apart, cannot match the needs of the con-
tent, or is simply unattractive, redesign it! After all, revitalizing the layout can’t make it
look, work, or feel any worse to your visitors than it does in the state it’s in now, right?
If you choose to redesign a site from the ground up, all your previous work may be wasted.
In addition, you’ll have to go through various iterations to regain the previous layout’s
level of exibility before the total revamp (which means more testing and, perhaps, some
secret sauce). Just realigning can be tricky, too, because you may encounter various barri-
ers hiding under the hood, waiting for their moment to break the site or its underlying
system.
Consideration #6: App versus online site
is nal consideration is a quick one, and it rounds o the fundamental considerations
involved in planning a site. First, my question: Should you provide your site in the form of
a native, downloadable app or within the wrapper of a well-crafted, browser-based site?
As with the previous issue, no one answer will work for everyone. Apps have the advan-
tage for o ine use, guaranteed rendering, and more, but because they require no compil-
ing per device, sites require less work, if the variables are accounted for.
Note
The divide between services and applications is getting thinner by the day. You
can, in many ways, rightfully claim that most apps can be built using modern
web browsers, but compatibility remains a constant issue because you’ll attract
all sorts of platforms.
In the apps versus online debate, I have my own biases and preferences. Desktop apps are
suited for situations in which access to a device’s native hardware is essential. Also, desk-
top apps are ideally suited if you want to build a single app for a speci c platform (such as
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