I've read quite a few articles recently with a similar theme, and it's refreshing to see a clear approach.
The first step is simply to work out what's important to your users, what content and features they come for. Some websites give no clue what this should be, especially those for smaller businesses where the decision making is necessarily done by someone who is neither interested nor knowledgeable about what is possible.
Then deliver that in the best way possible for whatever platform they may be using. "The best way" is not the same way for every platform. Making the code 100x larger so that it displays exactly the same in IE6 as it does in Chrome is a pointless waste of time and makes for a slow experience.
One article I read suggested designing for the mobile user first, since that forces you to concentrate on what's really important. Then build that up so that a user with Chrome on a huge monitor has a richer experience.
_________________jonbwfc's law: "In any forum thread someone will, no matter what the subject, mention Firefly."
When you're feeling too silly for x404,
youRwired.net
