Today, when it comes to planning a new website, responsive web design or RWD, is a crucial element to having a website that provides visitors with a modern look and feel. Ethan Marcotte, who is a well-known UI/UX designer was the first to coin the phrase “responsive web design.” Here are five tips to help you when considering RWD.

Use Cascading Style Sheets

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) use media queries, which allow images, video, font and text sizing, widgets, and other elements adapt to different sized screens for viewing.

Make Sure That CSS and HTML work together

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Cascading style sheets work with the HTML 4 or HTML 5 code to provide the right combination, so the many different elements adapt correctly. CSS files work to style some elements of a website page so that images, video, text and webpage colors conform nicely to mobile devices like an iPhone, tablets and also to a laptop, desktop screen, etc. CSS files work with HTML files to make RWD work.

Media Queries Get The RWD Job Done

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Within your cascading style sheet, providing media queries provide the magic to make responsive design happen based on the different screen sizes that are referenced. Using three different media queries for three different web page sizes is essential. Having the right web code in your cascading style sheets concerning media queries for mobile phones, tablets (600 px), and a desktop screen (768 px) will cover all of your website visitors’ device screens based on these coding tips.

Choose a website theme that is RWD supportive

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For fans of open source platforms for website publishing like WordPress or Drupal, website designer and developers can install website themes that are RWD enabled. And the good news is that WordPress theme developers are wise to the need for web pages that adapt to many different screens.

Use Web Design Prototyping Software

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Software packages can help you lay out all of the key design elements that are involved with RWD as it pertains to your cascading style sheets. Adobe Edge Reflow is one of these software packages that can help you design a look and feel for mobile, tablet and desktop views.

In conclusion, websites are being accessed with a higher frequency on smartphones than desktops and laptop computers, so it is essential to have a website that adapts to many different screen sizes as part of RWD.