And yet, with customers increasingly mobile first, many brands still treat mobile visitors as mini desktop visitors.

Ericcson published a neuroscience study last year that found that the stress caused by using smartphones to find content and complete tasks on the mobile web is akin to watching a horror movie. They found that heart rate increases 38% with mobile content delays.

As Brian Solis from Altimeter Group put it:

“Marketers still invest in mobile as an afterthought or as a bolt on to more mainstream digital programs…

“While mobile is often referred to as the second screen, the reality is that smartphones are really the first screen among connected consumers. It’s always within reach. And, it is the first place consumers go to communicate, research, and share. As of last year, mobile platforms accounted for 60% of total digital media time spent according to ComScore. And, mobile devices accounted for one in four of all online purchases as reported in IBM’s Digital Analytics Benchmark.”

Brian goes on to hypothesize that part of the reason customers use so many screens in one engagement is because the mobile experience can be so lacking that customers are forced to complete their tasks on desktop:

“It is practically impossible for mobile-first consumers to undergo a digital experience on one screen and are forced, again by design, to multiscreen and/or channel hop to accomplish a desired task or goal. Some 90% of consumers move between devices to accomplish a goal, using an average of three different screen combinations each day.”

Following are a few cartoons I’ve drawn over the years about evolving beyond a desktop mentality and designing for mobile. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

“Mobile Strategy“, December 2011

“Optimized for Mobile“, September 2015

“Fat Finger Syndrome“, May 2016