Responsive design is a web design approach that ensures a website looks and functions well on all devices—desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones—regardless of screen size or orientation. Instead of creating separate versions of a site for different devices, responsive design uses flexible layouts, scalable images, and media queries in CSS to automatically adjust the design elements to fit the user’s screen.
This technique allows content to resize, reflow, or rearrange depending on the device being used, ensuring an optimal viewing and interaction experience without the need for horizontal scrolling or zooming. Responsive design improves usability, enhances accessibility, and contributes to better search engine rankings, as mobile-friendliness is a key factor in Google's SEO algorithm.
By using responsive design, businesses and designers can maintain a consistent brand experience across devices, reach a wider audience, and reduce development and maintenance costs, since only one version of the website needs to be updated or managed.