Mobile-first Responsive Web Design. As the consumer demand for mobile-friendly websites continues to grow, website design must, pardon the pun, continue to grow and adapt to new devices and new screen sizes.
Today, consumers expect a strong mobile experience. This is no longer an option but a necessity. As the mobile device share of the market consistently grows, so too does the need for a simple, easy-to-use mobile web experience. Law Promo utilizes the latest technologies in Responsive Web Design (RWD), focusing on website designs that look great across all web platforms – from tablet to mobile to desktop to large screens.
The elements of Responsive Web Design typically include using three common elements to make sites responsive:
- Fluid Grids
- Fluid Images
- Media Queries
Fluid Grids often uses percentages in declaring dimensions for web elements rather than set size dimensions. For example, a blog section of copy could have an assigned width of 40% of the page, rather than declaring a set amount of 400 pixels. This way, the element will better conform to various screen and device sizes, rather than being set in a concrete width and/or height on the page.
Fluid Images also utilize percentage dimensions like Fluid Grids. If an image width or maximum width is set to 100% rather than a set amount like 500 pixels, the image can better respond to the width of the area it is resides in the web page and won’t extend beyond that set area or division. A common example of this in practice is Youtube videos. Often YouTube videos are embedded within a web page with a set width and height as determined when a user chooses to share a video in a web page. If, for example, the width is set as 415 pixels, this width will not respond to a small device width such as a smartphone. By setting a percentage, the video will adapt more effectively to these small device widths. The same thing applies to images within content areas. Rather than have an image extend or wrap outside of a section, fluid images help contain this pesky problem by making the image adapt more effectively.
Media Queries are parameters with a website’s CSS code and styling that set specific commands that make web elements adapt and respond to specific device window dimensions. An example might be a set of three column web copy adapting down to single columns rather than multi-column when viewed on a small device. Another example of media queries in use would be when the navigation bar on a website changes from full page on a desktop computer to a simpler single dropdown-style on a tablet or phone. The possibilities with media queries are endless and they help customize websites and create great user experiences on a variety of devices.
Law Promo uses these RWD principles throughout our website designs and implementation. Our websites are built to look great on any device. Learn more about responsive design and our services on our site.
