6 Tips for Responsive Design
Introduction:
Responsive design is essential to make websites look well on a variety of devices. Most people use different devices for various purposes and we need to ensure usability across all screen sizes. Responsive design has some distinctive qualities and requirements in order to be done successfully.
In this blog post, we’ll share our top tips on improving your design so it is accessible and functional on various devices.
1. Determine breakpoints and screen sizes.
When planning a responsive design, you should determine what standard screen sizes you need to consider when designing. Using standard mobile, tablet, and desktop screen sizes is best. This way, the design will change its layout when resizing your screen or using a different device. Every breakpoint accommodates changes in size and layout. The intention is to preserve usability and functionality while considering the screen size and user behaviour.
2. Use a grid
The key when designing any web page layout is using a grid, which is especially useful for responsive design. Each breakpoint will have a different grid depending on what works best for your design. For example, a 12- column grid on desktop can collapse into six columns on a tablet and four on mobile. It’s a good idea to use at least three breakpoints, but you can include more – for example, a large desktop breakpoint for large screens or anything else in between.
3. Use responsive features when designing.
Whether you use Figma, XD or any other UX design software, you can take advantage of responsive design tools. Even though they are slightly different, they work similarly and will help with alignment and stacking. You can create settings that dictate how your design moves and changes with responsive features. Or, you can set the parts of your design that you need to be static. Remember to attach components to the grid you’re designing to keep everything in place. Don’t forget to preview your design on the relevant device to see exactly how it looks and feels. Designing and prototyping this way makes it much easier to show your responsive design to your team, clients, developers, etc.
4. Adjust the layout for different size screens
Not everything that is in your desktop design will make it to mobile. Responsive design is more than just adjusting components and changing their stacking order. Evaluate your designs for different screen sizes, and don’t be afraid to change, remove or redesign parts for better usability. For example, larger elements can collapse and expand on mobile when tapped to save screen space but show on desktop where you have more screen estate to work with. Although you have some freedom and flexibility here, remember to keep your content and design consistent.
5. Think about proportions and percentages rather than exact pixel sizes.
This tip will help with planning and how you think of responsive design. For example, moving from exact pixel sizes to relative units (percentages) will help you understand responsive design. Percentages and proportions will help you communicate your design and ensure everything works as intended. For instance, an image can take up to 40% of a card’s height, so there is no need to document any exact pixel sizes for your breakpoints.
6. Accessibility
Remember that accessibility is critical for any device. Some accessibility requirements are specific to certain devices, such as mobile devices with a minimum size for touch targets and spacing requirements for responsive design. Check your designs and ensure that they pass accessibility checks on all devices.
Conclusion
Responsive design is a must for any project you work on, whether it’s for mobile, tablet or desktop. By following these tips, you can make your designs more responsive and improve your workflow. Consider using responsive features in your design software and planning your layouts with breakpoints to make the design process easier.