The way we interact with our phones and computers changes rapidly. Today, it's almost as common to use the internet from your phone as it is to use it behind a computer. Republic builds specific mobile sites or ensures that your regular site works well on smartphones and touchscreens through responsive design. We also made a few Apps for iPhone and iPad.
A website that adapts depending on what the visitor uses for the device.
One way is to customize the design depending on the device the visitor has. This has recently come to be called responsive design, which simply means that the design adapts as a response to the conditions that the visitor’s unit allows. The simplest example of different conditions is the size of the screen.
Responsive design offers many benefits. For example, only one version of the website needs to be updated and it is very convenient to have a solution that adapts to the situation and presents the content in the best possible way based on the visitor’s circumstances at that particular moment.
To see an example of how responsive design works, you can just check out this page, republic.se, on a phone, a tablet, and a traditional computer. Then you see the same content but that the design and presentation of the content are adapted for each device’s advantages and limitations.
Progressive Web Apps (PWA) — a web app that works even when you’re offline
Today it is also possible to build an app with web technology that can be installed on both computers and phones. It gives you an icon on the home screen, it works offline, and more or less works like a regular app.
Fortunately, you don’t have to go through the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store to install a PWA, but it also doesn’t allow you to sell it in the same way as an app developed for iOS or Android only. The big advantage is that you do not need to develop several different versions of the app and that everyone can use the same app, regardless of phone model and operating system.
A traditional app for iPhone/iPad and Android
In some cases, a real app is simply the best choice. If simplicity, agility, and impact are the most important thing, an app can be just the right way to go. It is also a good way if there is interest in selling the result, as both Apple and Google have their respective marketplaces for apps where, as a manufacturer, you also get help managing the actual purchases and the financial part of the project.