How does a Responsive Website work?

These days, almost every new client wants a mobile version of their website. After all, one design for the BlackBerry, another for the iPhone, iPad, netbook, and Kindle — and all screen resolutions must be compatible — it’s nearly a must. We’ll probably need to design for a few more inventions in the next five years. When will the craziness come to an end? Of course, it won’t.

How can websites keep up with the millions of screens that are available?

Responsive web design, or RWD design, is one way to do this. To put it another way, responsive website design means that your website (and its pages) can adjust to users’ needs and provide the best possible experience, whether they’re on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Your website, however, must be responsive for this to happen.

But what exactly is a responsive web design and how does it work?

Continue reading to learn more and see examples of responsive website design in action! If you’d want to stay up to date with responsive website design, sign up for our exclusive newsletter, Revenue Weekly, which includes web design and marketing advice for small businesses.

What is a Responsive website?

Responsive website design, often known as RWD design, is a current web design strategy that allows websites and pages to render (or display) across all devices and screen sizes by changing to the screen automatically, whether it’s a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

How does responsive website design work?

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are used in responsive web design to offer varied style attributes based on the screen size, orientation, resolution, color capabilities, and other aspects of the user’s device. The viewport and media queries are two examples of CSS attributes related to responsive web design.

The Concept of Responsive Web Design

Why should we construct a unique Web design for each set of people; after all, architects don’t design a building for every size and type of group that travels through it. Web design, like responsive architecture, should adjust automatically. It shouldn’t be necessary to create a slew of specialized solutions for each new user group.

Obviously, we won’t be able to accomplish this using motion sensors and robotics in the same manner that a structure would. Responsive Web design necessitates a more abstract mindset. Some concepts, such as fluid layouts, media queries, and scripts that can easily reformat Web pages and mark-up, are currently in use (or automatically).

However, responsive Web design is more than just resizable graphics and flexible screen dimensions; it’s a whole new way of thinking about design. Let’s speak about all of these features, as well as some upcoming ideas.

Is my website responsive?

In your web browser, you can immediately verify if a website is responsive or not.

• Launch Google Chrome

• Open Chrome Dev Tools by pressing Ctrl + Shift + I. 

• Toggle the device toolbar by pressing Ctrl + Shift + M.

• Check out your page on a mobile, tablet, or desktop device.

You may also check if your website’s pages are mobile-friendly using a free tool like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. While alternative design approaches, such as adaptive design, can achieve mobile-friendliness, responsive website design is the most popular due to its benefits.

Types of Responsive Design:

In today’s world, 90 people out of 100 use smartphones or tablets to access the internet. In fact, sales of desktop computers have plummeted in recent years, as have sales of laptop computers, because cellphones can do practically everything that laptops do. As a result, a standard-designed website may not fit these various devices, making it impossible to see the content.

Many users are put off by a website’s lack of responsiveness, and they may abandon the site sooner, resulting in lower traffic and revenue.

There are three main designs to choose from when it comes to website responsiveness:

• Responsive Layout

• Fluid Layout • Fluid-responsive website Layout 

1. Responsive Layout

It’s also known as adaptive design because each web page block is coded with a defined width, which is commonly specified in pixels.

These fixed widths are frequently made adaptive to fit inside screen sizes by using CSS media query rules and a specific code called breakpoints.

2. Fluid Layout

Fluid layouts are comparable to responsive layouts with a few minor differences, such as the unit width being stated in relative units such as em or percent (percentage).

Because every block of the web page is to be checked for its behavior, this approach to website responsiveness is a time-consuming process. Stretching left or right alignment in any direction, placement of different pieces to the top or bottom of succeeding elements, and so on are all examples of behavior.

3.    Fluid-responsive layout

The common functions of the responsive layout and the fluid layout are included in this design method.

It includes unique codes known as breakpoints, which are achieved by using CSS Media Query Rules to adjust the fluid behavior discussed before. Because it is the simplest and fastest approach to developing a beautiful and functioning website, the responsive layout is the most often utilized style of website design.

Why Responsive web design matters to web designers and business owners

Responsive website design frees web designers, user interface designers, and web developers from laboring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to create websites for every possible device. It also makes life easier for entrepreneurs, marketers, and advertising.

Here are a few advantages:

One site for every device:

The website will be customized for the user’s optimal viewing enjoyment, whether seen on a 27-inch iMac with a Wi-Fi connection or from the screen of your Android phone.

Optimal design for the device:

All pictures, fonts, and other HTML elements will be scaled accordingly with the responsive website design method, maximizing whatever screen size the user has.

No need for redirects:

Other approaches to designing for different devices necessitate the use of redirects to bring users to the correct version of a web page. The user may get to the material he wants to look at as quickly as possible without having to go through any redirects.

In terms of cost, responsive web design is also beneficial. It’s also easier to administer because there’s only one site instead of two. Changes don’t have to be made twice. Instead, you may update and work from a single webpage.

Examples of Responsive web design

To see how responsive website design works, use your smartphone to access the Internet and look at some of the sites listed on mediaqueri.es, an online showcase of responsive website designs.

Examine the same sites on a different Internet-connected device, such as your laptop or iPad. Dev Tools is also available in Chrome.

Have you noticed how the layouts of the sites adapt to the device you’re using?

That’s what responsive web design is all about.

Learn more about responsive website design

It’s important to remember that responsive website design is a tool, not a panacea. While responsive design has numerous advantages when it comes to designing for different devices, it does not guarantee a usable experience (just as using a gourmet recipe does not ensure the creation of a magnificent meal.) To support users across all devices, teams must focus on the specifics of content, design, and performance. Clickites can assist you in marketing, making your website responsive if you need some professional support, we provide responsive website design and development services.