The sixth book in the rapidly expanding A Book Apart series explores the methodology of designing for mobile first. With more internet users projected to access the web via mobile devices than through PCs by 2015 (source); mobile devices introducing new native capabilities and constraints to the mix, Luke surmises that “starting with the desktop may be an increasingly backward way of thinking about a web product.”
The book is broken down into two parts, each part being subdivided into chapters:
Part 1: Why Mobile First?
- Growth
- Constraints
- Capabilities
Part 2: How to go Mobile
- Organization
- Actions
- Inputs
- Layout
I found Luke’s writing to be insightful, thoughtful and concise. After finishing this book, I immediately thought to myself that it makes a great companion to another book in the series, Responsive Web Design. In fact, I suggest reading this book before the aforementioned Responsive Web Design to get a broader understanding of the mobile experience, its inherent limitations and new capabilities.
