Responsive web design is a technique of designing for the web before taking in to consideration the screen sizes of the devices, be they PCs, tablets or smart phones. It’s all about enabling users to have the best of two worlds: smooth reading, easy navigation with less need to zoom in, pan or scroll.
This is a question that anyone interested in the history of the internet and website development must have asked themselves – What is Responsive Web Design?
In simpler terms, RWD is an approach in website development that employs flexible grids, fluid images, and CSS media queries that will allow a single Web page to look good on a wide and varying range of devices and orientations.
There are certain principles that are unique to responsive design which have been outlined below:
1. Fluid Grids
For widths, fluid grids employ use of percentages different for widths so as to ensure the layout varies with the size of the screen a user employs.
Example:
. container {
width: 80%;
margin: auto;
}
2. Flexible Images
Images must adjust their size with their parent elements without any negative impact on the design.
This can be achieved using CSS:This can be achieved using CSS:
img {
max-width: 100%;
height: auto;
}
It also allows for images to be properly scaled so that they will retain their aspect ratios no matter the size of the screen.
3. Media Queries
Media queries enable you to apply different style depending on width, height, orientation and resolution of the device.
Example:
@media screen and (max-width: If the scrw width is less than 768px then this code will execute.
body {
font-size: 16px;
}
. container {
width: 100%;
padding: 10px;
}
}
This example is used for screens with width not greater than 768px (for tablets and other small devices) and affects only the FSM font size and the container width.
4. Mobile-First Design
Mobile-first design means making the layout specifically for the smallest screen, and then for the greater ones, you use added layouts.
This strategy comes first serves the obligatory content and functionality, and only then creates extra options to be used on a large screen of a tablet.
Example:
body {
font-size: 14px;
}
@media screen and (min-width: Overall width of 768px.
body {
font-size: 16px;
}
}
5. Viewport Meta Tag
Again, the viewport meta tag is crucial on mobile devices on how your website will adjust depending on the screen size.
It instructs the browser how it can handle width and height of the page as well as how the content of the page is to be scaled.
Example:
><head> <meta name = “viewport” content = “width = device-width, initial-scale= 1.0 “>
Implementing Responsive Design: This is a practical example of the nature and functioning of the programs of special education in New York.
Now let’s imagine, we have a basic webpage containing various elements of design which is optimized for use on various devices.
<! DOCTYPE html>
<html lang=”en”>
<head>
<meta charset=”UTF-8″>
Obviously, all the codes currently written below the head section are available at the following link <meta name=”viewport” content=”width=device-width, initial-scale=1. 0”>.
<title>Responsive Design Example</title>
<style>
/* Patterns *Mobile First *responsiveness *Float & Position */
body {
font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
line-height: 1. 6;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
font-size: 14px;
}
. container {
width: 100%;
padding: 10px;
}
h1 {
font-size: 24px;
text-align: center;
}
. navbar {
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
align-items: center;
background-color: #333;
padding: 10px 0;
}
. navbar a {
color: white;
text-decoration: none;
padding: 10px;
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
}
. content {
padding: 20px;
}
/* Styles for Tablets and Above */
@media screen and (min-width: Cunits wider than 768px or units that are less than 768px but are scaled up.
. container {
width: 80%;
margin: auto;
}
. navbar {
flex-direction: row;
justify-content: space-around;
}
. navbar a {
width: auto;
}
. content {
padding: 40px;
}
}
/* Styles for desktop and larger */
@media screen and (min-width: They should also have a minimum width of 1024px although this is not set in stone since many blogs today allow their writers almost complete freedom when it comes to picking a layout and design.
body {
font-size: 16px;
}
h1 {
font-size: 32px;
}
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class=”container”>
<nav class=”navbar”>
<a href=”#”>Home</a>
<a href=”#”>About</a>
<a href=”#”>Services</a>
<a href=”#”>Contact</a>
</nav>
<h1>Responsive Design Example</h1>
<div class=”content”>
For example, this is a completely basic version of a webpage that is specifically responsive only to the width of the viewing window. This layout will be applied across both tablet and desktop size using Bootstrap, you can test it out yourself by resizing the browser. </p>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>
“`
Explanation:
Base Styles: Built specifically for a mobile-first approach, which means that the site will automatically ‘respond’ to fit small screens.
Media Queries: Some content is better viewed on tablets or PC, so use this technique to optimize it: increase the font size and change the positions of navigation elements for better visibility on a larger screen.
Viewport Meta Tag: It helps to scale properly the mobile designs, especially with use of iPad.
The tools and techniques of Responsive Design
1. Flexbox and CSS Grid
Flexbox and CSS grid is now two of the most important layout modules that help make building the fluid and responsive layouts possible.
For one dimensional layout like, navigation bars please use Flexbox While for two dimensional layout like complete web page layout please use Grid.
Example using Flexbox:
. navbar {
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
}
2. Responsive Images
This should be done by using the `srcset` and the `sizes` attributes which enable you to load a set of images of different sizes based on the size of the screen of the device that is being used.
Example:
<img src=”small. jpg” srcset=”large. jpg 1024w, medium. jpg 768w, small. jpg 320w” sizes=”(max-width: All images: width: 100%; max-width: 768px; height: auto; max-height: 50vw;</div>
3. Testing and Debugging
If browser developer tools are not available you have to test the layout on other devices and try to minimize the usage of complex media queries.
Go through your design with some live devices to make sure that your design runs proper on different devices.
4. Frameworks
Frameworks such as Bootstrap and Foundation employ pre-fabricated responsive elements that can be reused time and again to come up with responsive designs since developers do not need to use their time coming up with the design from scratch.
Conclusion
Flexible layout is important in today’s more and more diversified screen environment, guaranteeing the web site’s compatibility of multiple devices in different resolution. If approached and adapted, all of these principles enable designers to create websites that are not only esthetic but also fully usable on any type of device. In time with experience these elements will be mastered and a web design that is responsive and good looking and beautifully usable on any device can be developed.