Skip the Desktop
She’s back with another video on the Indian context, and naturally, I couldn’t resist watching.
She’s back with another video on the Indian context, and naturally, I couldn’t resist watching: Phoebe Yu - Indian web design: cheap, but it works. Here's why
In the video, Parag Gupta, who’s also a UX designer, makes an insightful point: "…a large chunk of the Indian population skipped the desktop phase." This resonated with me because it's something I’ve experienced firsthand in my work. The way people access what I create, both in the past and now, reflects this well.
There is a zone in network connectivity, between no network and just one bar of signal, that's quite tantalizing. You think you’re connected, but the experience is far from seamless. I remember when I was studying on the outskirts of Coimbatore, and my sibling (back in Bombay) couldn’t believe I didn’t want to recharge my phone for 3G. I had chosen unlimited 2G instead, and I had to explain why. Even with 3G, my actual connection would still be slow: 2G at best, and painfully sluggish. I’ll never forget trying to download an image on Instagram in 2014. It took four full minutes, and that was me standing on the terrace, where nothing could interfere with the signal. While the situation may have improved in that location over the past decade, this remains the reality for many non-urban users. For many users, data limitations dictate how they engage with content, which in turn calls for lightweight, accessible designs.
Over the years, I’ve come to realize how crucial file size (aka kitna MB hai?) is when designing for new media. In my current projects, this feels like less of a shift and more of the norm. For instance, an exhibition catalogue I’m working on is optimized for phone viewing, yet still designed to translate seamlessly into print. To illustrate in dimensions, the digital 16:9 ratio converts to 200mm by 112.5mm in print—a (hopefully) balanced approach between accessibility and design. It is a move away from the traditional, bookish (or taught) approach, but one is now faced by the core tension between designing for immediacy and longevity.
