What is Responsive Web design

So yesterday I talked about the launch of a new website mrbison.com and how we had taken the opportunity to recode it as a responsive web site.

But what does that mean…what is a responsive web site?

Simply put, it is a site that will give the  visitor an optimal viewing experience regardless of what device they are using to access it- desktop, laptop, tablet or phone. And as I am all about graphics let me show you in pictures exactly what I mean.

Here is the site on a 24″ desk top monitor

Responsive webdesign in action

Here it is on an iPad – both portrait and landscape orientation

Responsive design on ipad

and here it is on an i Phone

responsive design on iphone

The way the site is coded means it automatically “responds”  to what ever device it it viewed from. Here are some of the things that happen

  • Automatic  adjustment the overall width of the site
  • Re sizes all the images – see how the entire width of the header graphic and call to action banner are visible whatever the device
  • Adjusts the placements of page elements – on the phone the elements that were displayed horizontally ( the block of text and video) are now displayed vertically
  • Optimization of the navigational tool. If viewed on a phone a clunky navigational bar would detract from the site content. Instead the user is presented with a menu button, which, if selected, will display a drop down menu.

You don’t have to view the site on all of these different devices to see this responsive nature in action, simply visit the site and re-size your browser window…getting smaller and smaller as you do.. see how the site changes?

 

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