With CES in the books and clients looking forward to what’s on the horizon, I decided to sit down and interview some of Accella’s leading minds to se what they see coming up in 2014 and beyond.
Today I discussed the future of the web with Shannon Garrahy, Director Of Web Development.
Sam: Thanks for talking with me today, Shannon. What do you think we’re going to see in terms of web trends in 2014?
Shannon: In terms of website development, I think we’re seeing the end of mobile websites as something optional . Last year, companies didn’t necessarily have to have a mobile-optimized version of their site – in 2014, you won’t be able to get away with that. Tablet and mobile traffic are up, and they’ll only become more prevalent over the next year.
Sam: How will this influence website development?
Shannon: Interestingly, I think it’ll result in a kind of “back to the future” trend in terms of development. When broadband overtook dial-up, webpages started getting larger and more complex because the bandwidth was there; now we’re going to see sites becoming smaller and less flashy so that they load faster on mobile networks.
Sam: With that in mind, do you foresee a device or trend that will be a “pack leader”?
Shannon: For website development purposes, you don’t really think about the specific device anymore – you really just focus on making sure the website works for as many users as possible. In that light, web apps are becoming more important, so you also have to focus on making them run as smoothly and quickly as possible.
Sam: What advice would you give to current and prospective clients?
Shannon: If you’re looking to have visually distinctive product, website, or app, use Google Fonts and Javascript Custom Fonts. Think about how small the typical mobile screen is – your visual identity has to be extremely unique and memorable in order to make a lasting impression. With that in mind, using Google Fonts or a Javascript Custom Font can help separate your business from the competition.
As always, it’s important to voice your needs and goals with your web development team. More often than not, they’ll know how to find the design solution that you’re looking for.
Our look ahead to 2014 and beyond will continue next week with discussions with:
- Jacob Haskins discussing mobile development
- Jason King with his executive level look at what’s happening in 2014
