changes to the appearance of a website, depending on the screen size and orientation of the device being used to view it. It was the idea that changed the way we design web pages for multiple devices. Responsive web design makes sure to respond to any user’s actions and actions based off the device they are using, accommodating its platform and orientation. Responsive design was named from Ethan Marcotte which was describing three techniques in a combination- fluid grids, fluid images and media query. Responsive design is a completely new way of thinking about design and is not just screen resolutions and adjustable sizes for images and pages. It came as a way to give equal and all access to the information regardless of the device you are viewing it on.
Going in more depth for each of these fluid grids was already being tested by Gillenwater in which fluid grids allow the user to create the designs for dynamic screen sizes, complexity when making them can vary depending on the already existing CSS framework. Next with fluid images after using the technique of setting the max-width property to 100%, the image will not become larger and more pixelated and will not overflow the column. For media queries they use layout switching so rather than having one single layout for all screens the layout could instead change and be repositioned. Responsive web also focuses on content as a key point as well, having content prioritization helps users find what they need more efficiently. In addition, it is very flexible and since it uses breakpoints for layouts, it can support new ones meaning it can support newer and all future devices that come out. In all responsive design is a tool all can use but for it to be properly optimized teams need to focus on all the content, designs, and performances for it to be supported on all devices.
Source 1 Source 2 Cover Photo by Eftakher Alam on Unsplash
Emily Ramirez 