What is Responsive Web Design?
Web pages which are said to be ‘responsive’ are those which are able to adapt to the environment in which they are being viewed. These pages are designed using a grid format, which can then be scaled to perfectly fit the window in which it is being viewed. The images found on the page are also designed to be scalable so as to prevent the image from exceeding the size of the container in which it is held. The myriad tools of responsive web design allow web developers to cater for differing screen sizes, browsers and even window sizes; whilst also conferring a higher level of support for mobile devices.
The contrast between a web page based on older design principles, with content nested within tables of varying sizes, and the more modern responsively designed web page is obvious. When viewing the two pages in full-screen mode, there is little difference between the two. The important distinctions arise though, when the user attempts to arrange the windows in the way of their choosing, or when they attempt to view the site on a mobile device. The responsive web page flows effortlessly into the smaller window or onto the screen of the mobile device, scaling pictures and shuffling text to match the dimensions of the viewing window.