Why We Focus on Mobile-First Design
Back in 2017, we redesigned an e-commerce app that looked great on
desktop mockups. Launched to real users and immediately got hammered
with complaints. Turns out 78% of traffic came from phones, and our
carefully crafted layouts fell apart on smaller screens.
That failure taught us something important. You can't shrink desktop
interfaces down to mobile and expect them to work. The constraints are
completely different—thumb reach, attention span, context of use,
network conditions. Mobile isn't a smaller version of desktop. It's a
different environment that requires different thinking.
Now we prototype on phones first. If the core experience works on
a 6-inch screen with one hand, expanding to tablet and desktop
becomes straightforward.
The Busan market reinforces this approach. Transit usage is high.
People interact with apps in short bursts between activities. Designs
need to accommodate motion, varying light conditions, and interrupted
attention. These aren't edge cases—they're the primary use
scenario.
We test extensively on subway platforms and in cafes, not just in
conference rooms. Real-world conditions reveal issues that never show
up in controlled environments. That's where you learn if your touch
targets are actually large enough, if your contrast ratios work in
sunlight, if your load times feel acceptable on spotty connections.