Wondering what a responsive website is? It is worth explaining the concept of RWD (Responsive Web Design) at the outset. It is a technique for creating websites in such a way that their appearance and layout automatically adjusts to the size of the browser window in which the site is displayed. Thus, a responsive website is fully functional on both a smartphone screen and a large monitor. There is no need to enlarge or zoom in on any elements.
Check out how to make a good responsive website based on 10 important principles.
The first principle about flexibility is about and application:CSS Flexbox and Grid – CSS tools allow you to easily create flexible page layouts. Another thing you should implement is Media Queries, whichallow you to change styles according to screen resolution, for example. @media (max-width: 768px) { … }. The last thing is progressive scaling: Design layouts that smoothly change between different boundary points (breakpoints), without sudden jumps.
Scalable SVG vector graphics are much better suited for creating responsive CSS and HTML pages than standard raster graphics. SVG files automatically change their resolution, so they remain readable regardless of size.
Responsive images are key to ensuring that a page displays properly on different devices. They adapt their size to the space they are in, thanks to techniques such as max-width: 100% or the srcset attribute. Modern formats, such as WebP, allow better compression while maintaining quality, which speeds up loading. It’s also important to crop images to the right proportions – square or vertical graphics work better on mobile devices. It’s a good idea to implement lazy loading, to load images only when the user sees them. This makes the images more efficient and affects a better user experience.
The website must be fully functional and aesthetically pleasing on the three basic types of devices: desktop/laptop computers, tablets and smartphones. It is also crucial to take into account horizontal and vertical orientation on mobile devices and test on actual hardware in different browsers
Card interfaces should be designed to be modular, allowing their contents to be easily copied, moved and modified. Best practices include the use of clear boundaries between tabs, visual hierarchy (e.g., through headers and appropriate spacing), and adapting the layout to different screen resolutions. Tools such as UXPin can support the process of creating such interfaces, simplifying the work of responsive design
The principle of “less content” does not mean removing everything, but focusing on what is most important and necessary to improve the user experience (UX) and effectiveness of the site on different devices.
On a small screen, the user will not see all the elements available on a large monitor. Therefore, you need to determine which content is most important and which can be hidden. The key information should be at the top of the page or in a prominent place so that it is easily accessible without scrolling. Content prioritization is worthwhile based on user behavior analysis, such as Google Analytics data or heatmaps.
Designing a responsive website is a good idea to start with the smallest (i.e. most demanding) screen sizes. The mobile-first design approach involves first creating a version of the site optimized for mobile devices, and then expanding it with additional features and elements for larger screens. This makes the site lightweight, fast and tailored to mobile users, who often make up the majority of the audience.
Buttons must have a surface area such that they can be pressed comfortably, including on the phone screen. The minimum size of a button should be at least 48×48 pixels, according to Google’s guidelines, to ensure user comfort. It is also important to maintain adequate spacing between interactive elements to avoid accidental clicks.
It is useful in any industry. It’s worth checking out how the market leaders are approaching responsive website design.
Check out what else you should know about RWD web design and web usability.
These terms are often confused with each other. What they have in common is that both sites display correctly on mobile devices. However, it is worth knowing that a mobile site is only for smartphones or tablets (it has a different URL than a site for computers). A RWD site has a single address and adapts to the device on which it is displayed.
Check out examples of 4 well-designed responsive websites
Shopify – some options on the site are hidden when using it on a mobile device. This improves readability. In addition, the menu has been divided into separate groups, forming “two cognitive areas.”
Slack – an interesting approach to CTA buttons catches the eye. In the mobile and tablet view, two of them have been replaced by one large one – it takes up almost the entire width of the screen.
Starbucks – the responsive site stands out primarily because of its simple, static design, which is nevertheless eye-catching (mainly due to well-chosen colors).
Etsy – an e-commerce site that adapts its layout brilliantly on different devices. On smaller screens, the side menu is replaced by a drop-down navigation bar, and product images are centrally displayed for easy browsing. Large CTA buttons, such as “Add to Cart,” are clearly visible and easy to click.
A responsive website is now a must have if you want to meet the expectations of search engine algorithms and, most importantly, your audience. A well-designed RWD website is equally functional on a small smartphone screen and on a large computer monitor.
To check if your site is responsive, use the developer tools available in browsers (e.g. Google Chrome DevTools). Enable responsive mode, which allows you to simulate different devices and screen resolutions. Additionally, test the site on physical devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops. You can also use online tools such as responsinator.com or Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to assess the responsiveness of the site.
Use techniques such as flexible grids (flexbox, grid), flexible images and media queries to make the site responsive. Use relative units (percentages, em, rem) instead of fixed pixels. This will ensure that the site adapts to different screen resolutions, from phones to desktop monitors. It is also crucial to test the site on different devices and browsers to ensure consistency in design and functionality.
Responsiveness of a website is its ability to automatically adapt to different resolutions and screen sizes, providing an optimal user experience on any device. This is achieved through responsive layouts that rearrange and resize elements according to the size of the browser window. Key elements of responsiveness include flexible grids, media queries, and flexible images and multimedia. This ensures that the site remains readable and functional on smartphones, tablets and large monitors alike
