Content should be snackable. Design should be simple.
As tablets get smaller and phones get bigger, it’s looking like 5.5 to 6 inch screens are the sweet spot for consumers. That means rethinking how you present all the content you originally designed for larger tablets and smaller phones.
Here are some content and design tips to keep in mind to optimize for medium-sized screens.
- Elaborate designs are over. When tablets were first introduced, designs got more complicated, as designers — understandably — wanted to show off a bit. On today’s medium sized screens, you simply don’t have room for a cluttered look. Slash any pieces of your design that get in the way of user experience.
- Simple and elegant is in. Clean lines and intuitive navigation are what works for today’s consumers. Carefully consider your colors and fonts with elegance in mind.
- Content should be snackable. Small chunks of great content play far better than big blocks of text. Keep your content bite-sized so users can great a read while they’re waiting for a friend at the coffee shop. Make content that fits into a busy life, rather than expecting users to fit time for your content into their schedule.
- Dribble out content over time. To keep users engaged, consider a time curation model. Use push notifications to send timely content to your users. Short content for weekdays, perhaps a longer read on weekends.
- It’s a video world. There’s a reason video is everywhere now. Users love getting their content through short, fun videos — especially with captioning, so they can get the jist with the sound off. And it pays off for marketers: good videos can boost click through rates by almost 200%.