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Thomas Rigby
Thomas Rigby

Posted on • Originally published at thomasxbanks.com on

You have a better laptop than your users

I have a fairly decent laptop provided by my employer and I'm lucky enough to have a strong, reliable internet connection. Not everyone does. I'll say that again for the Bro's at the back:

Not all of your users will have a top-spec device and good wifi like you do.

In the past I've been guilty of assuming that everyone has a comparable experience to myself.

This leads to Bad Habitsℒ️.

How to be better

Optimise for performance over appearance. Basically, don't make someone download 5Gb of images and 500Mb of JavaScript just to read your Terms & Conditions page.

Test on spotty wifi. Try using the site on a train or in a coffee shop or using the City's free wifi (if you have it where you are). This is how your user will experience your site - not via 100Gb Ethernet cables.

Test on budget devices - find a few common mid-priced devices (you could probably get them from eBay) and test on those instead.

If you're feeling extra spicy - make sure at least one of those devices has a cracked screen for a truly authentic browsing experience 😜

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