Responsive Design

Responsive Design

Modern responsive design patterns using mobile-first methodology, CSS Grid, Flexbox, and container queries.

Mobile-First Approach

/* Base styles = Mobile */
.container {
  padding: 1rem;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  gap: 1rem;
}

/* Tablet */
@media (min-width: 768px) {
  .container {
    flex-direction: row;
    flex-wrap: wrap;
    padding: 2rem;
  }
}

/* Desktop */
@media (min-width: 1024px) {
  .container {
    max-width: 1200px;
    margin: 0 auto;
    padding: 3rem;
  }
}

Container Queries

/* Instead of viewport queries, query the container */
.card-container {
  container-type: inline-size;
  container-name: card;
}

@container card (min-width: 400px) {
  .card {
    display: grid;
    grid-template-columns: 200px 1fr;
  }
}

@container card (max-width: 399px) {
  .card {
    display: flex;
    flex-direction: column;
  }
}

Fluid Typography

/* Fluid type scale using clamp() */
:root {
  --text-sm: clamp(0.875rem, 0.8rem + 0.25vw, 1rem);
  --text-base: clamp(1rem, 0.9rem + 0.5vw, 1.25rem);
  --text-lg: clamp(1.25rem, 1rem + 1vw, 1.75rem);
  --text-xl: clamp(1.5rem, 1rem + 2vw, 2.5rem);
}

Common Mistakes

1. Starting with desktop: Always design mobile-first. It's easier to add than remove.
2. Relying only on media queries: Use min-width not max-width. Use container queries for reusable components.
3. Ignoring touch targets: Minimum 44x44px tap targets. No hover-dependent interactions on mobile.
4. Fixed widths and heights: Use min-height, max-width, and intrinsic sizing.
5. Not testing on real devices: Emulators aren't enough. Test on actual phones and tablets.