Responsive Design
Modern responsive design patterns using mobile-first methodology, CSS Grid, Flexbox, and container queries.
Mobile-First Approach
css/* 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
css/* 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
css/* 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
- Starting with desktop: Always design mobile-first. It's easier to add than remove.
- Relying only on media queries: Use
min-widthnotmax-width. Use container queries for reusable components. - Ignoring touch targets: Minimum 44x44px tap targets. No hover-dependent interactions on mobile.
- Fixed widths and heights: Use
min-height,max-width, and intrinsic sizing. - Not testing on real devices: Emulators aren't enough. Test on actual phones and tablets.


