For Gen Z, Mobile First Design Is A Nonnegotiable 

TL;DR on Mobile First Design

Gen Z is screens over keyboards - meaning, when we want to browse the web, we reach for our phones instead of computers. 

Successful mobile shopping blends discovery into scrolling.

Brands need to serve up fast, relevant content to snag our attention.

Brands that sync their messaging across platforms maintain that attention. 

It’s official: mobile devices have officially dethroned desktops as the primary way to access the internet. Over half of all web traffic comes from smartphones and, for Gen Z, it’s become the new 3rd space (which is, contentiously, a bit of a downgrade from our perspective). 

In this new marketplace, brands can’t count on consumers coming to them; they’ll have to meet us where we are and navigate our fragmented attention spans and varied preferences to do so. The relationship between consumers and brands has come to be defined by a new player: the shifting terrain of the online world and the devices that mediate our interactions there.

…At times, it’s an awkward throupling. 

The Social Marketplace

Attention spans? Shrinking by the minute. These days, instant gratification is the bare minimum. Gen Z doesn’t play about our standards; we not only expect brands to serve up quick, engaging content to our feeds but also leverage data insights to ensure those ads remain relevant. Achieving that precarious balance of precision and immediacy requires brands to occupy a space of constant innovation, ideally crafting new ways to make experiences feel personalized. 

But how does this actualize? Well, within the Social marketplace, content is currency; however, you won’t be able to cash in just anywhere. Mobile shopping has completely transformed the buying experience, with over half of online purchases made via smartphones. Shoppable content has blended product discovery into our scroll, but successful mobile-first marketing doesn’t center transactions; brands have to do the leg work of creating engaging pathways to purchase backed by intuitive, mobile-first design. 

The Multi-Screen Experience

Ever seen those videos of high school teachers giving class lectures while Subway Surfers’ gameplay loops in the background? They may actually be on to something there. 

Today, our media experiences are multiscreen, and we jump between them constantly throughout the day (or the hour!).  Gen Z is 80% more likely to be multi-screening compared to older generations, meaning that, for us, brands have to truly be digitally omnipresent. Mobile-first marketing strategy is built around these expectations. 

This multi-screen habit means that attention is fragmented, but it also presents incredible opportunities for those willing to adapt. Consistent messaging across formats places your product in all the places that we are. When done right, cross-platform strategies create a sense of continuity that keeps us engaged, no matter what device we’re on. It will build relationships that matter - and, ultimately, ones that last.

The Rise of User-Generated Content

On social, marketing needs to be less pitching and more conversation. When brands can integrate shopping into our social feeds without the terse disruption of a hard sell, their ads become a natural extension of our browsing experience. Brands create an interactive dialogue rather than a one-way sales pitch. It’s an approach that invites participation - and purchase. 

Prioritizing UGC within your mobile-first strategy is the most effective way to do this. UGC allows us to see products through the eyes of our peers, making the buying decision feel like a community endorsement. Show us real people using real products, and we’re far more likely to trust you.