Desktop First Design
Desktop First Design is a web development approach where designers and developers initially create a website or application optimized for desktop screens, then progressively adapt it for smaller devices like tablets and smartphones. This methodology prioritizes the full-featured desktop experience as the baseline, often using media queries or other techniques to scale down content and functionality for mobile. It contrasts with Mobile First Design, which starts with mobile constraints and scales up.
Developers should use Desktop First Design when targeting audiences that primarily access content on desktops, such as for complex web applications, enterprise software, or data-intensive dashboards where screen real estate is crucial. It's suitable for projects where desktop usage dominates analytics or when legacy systems require desktop-centric features that are difficult to implement on mobile first. This approach can streamline development if desktop requirements are well-defined and mobile adaptation is secondary.