What is a responsive website? It’s a website that adapts in design and layout according to the dimensions of the device, mobile, tablet accessing it. How will your website be displayed on a mobile phone, tablet, or any other device accessing it? In the past you could have created a specific website for each device accessing it (mobile phone, desktop), but then you have the problem that you have to update two or more website all the time when you are updating your website.
There is a better way of having a mobile ready website – responsive design. A responsive website adapts to the environment of the device accessing it so that it uses an optimised display for any mobile or desktop browser.
With responsive design, the layout of your website could either be adaptive for the specific device it is accessed or it can be a fixed layout. With responsive design, Adaptive, Fluid, Fixed and responsive are the four key terms when you start designing the flexibility of your website. Find a short description below explaining these.
Responsive design elements
Adaptive: This layout uses a series of fixed layout designs. This layout uses specific “media queries” to access the correct size of the website.
Fluid: This layout uses a number of percentages of widths where elements can contract and stretch for specific widths.
Fixed: This layout contains an overall wrapper of your website that is a fixed width. Components cannot scale or move when the width changes of the screen accessing it.
Responsive: This layout is built on a fluid grid and also uses specific “media queries” to control the overall design of the site.
Having a responsive website is not a must, but it can surely be helpful in maintaining one website instead of a few to cater for people that are always on their mobile. The world is going more mobile everyday so if you really think about it, you definitely need a responsive website.
