What is Responsive Web Design?

The internet and its technologies are changing rapidly, as are the device we use to access it.  In the past, the dynamic nature of the World Wide Web was somewhat handcuffed by the fact that we could only access online technologies from our home computers.  Today however, mobile devices, laptops, and tablet computers allow us to surf the web from nearly every corner of the planet.  Subsequently, the way we use the internet and the way we develop websites has also changed.  And that brings us to responsive web design.

So, what is responsive web design?  In the simplest terms, responsive web design (RWD) is an approach that endeavours to craft a site in such a way that the end user experiences optimal viewing without the need for constant resizing, panning, and scrolling regardless of what type of device they are using.  Whether customers are accessing your site from a desktop computer or a mobile phone, the site’s layout is automatically optimized for the user’s screen.  RWD is exciting since it constitutes a completely different design mentality than traditional web design. 

Responsive Web Design is a very new concept, and is recognized as one of the top web design trends in 2012.  A site designed with RWD utilizes fluid proportion-based grids and flexible images in order to adapt to the viewer’s device layout.  Unlike traditional forms of web design, RWD uses different style rules that are based on characteristics of the viewing device and the width of the browser.  Page element sizing is more fluid as it relies on ratios or percentages rather than absolute units such as pixels.  Flexible images also rely on relative sizing so that they will display correctly regardless of the user’s device.

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Ultimately, responsive web design is bound to become a powerful tool that will allow us to think beyond the restrictions of the printed page.  Web sites are not bound by the same rules as print medium, so our designs are considerably more flexible.  Moreover, web design is almost defined by transience, and our technologies are constantly being refined, replaced, or revised.  RWD is the forefront of web design, but in just a few years it has the potential to be the standard of design.  As devices and input methods become more dynamic, companies want to build customized websites that function efficiently for all devices.  Responsive web design will allow a developer to make one page that functions seamlessly across devices.

Many web developers already see responsive web design as the future of their art.  Instead of developing separate, device-specific sites, forward thinking designers seek progressive solutions.  RWD is redefining web design in such a way that rewards creativity and flexibility.