Natural Responsiveness
Plain HTML with No CSS is Responsive
- Plain HTML without CSS can be responsive.
- When shrinking the browser down to the size of a phone, the content works perfectly and can even be viewed on devices like an Apple Watch if CSS is not used.
Importance of Natural Responsiveness
- Most elements used to build a project are responsive by default until modified with CSS.
- It is essential to approach a project with the mindset of maintaining natural responsiveness.
- By doing so, the amount of extra work needed to make sites properly responsive can be minimized.
Tips for Maintaining Natural Responsiveness
1. Viewport Meta Tag
- Add the following snippet inside the
<head>tag of HTML files to ensure proper mobile viewing. - The meta tag sets the initial width of the webpage to match the screen size and prevents automatic zooming.
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
2. Avoid Fixed Width and Height
- Fixed width and height on elements hinder flexibility and responsiveness.
- Instead of using
width: 600px, considermax-widthormin-heightto allow shrinking and prevent overflow. - Example: Change
widthtomax-widthto observe the element fitting within the screen.
3. Avoid Heights Altogether
- In most cases, avoid setting a fixed height for elements.
- Use margin and padding to create space around content, maintaining flexibility.
4. Use Fixed Widths Appropriately
- Some cases may require fixed widths, especially for small elements like icons or specific components like sidebars.
- Consider the context and choose the most appropriate approach for each element.
5. Utilize Flexbox and Grid
- Flexbox and Grid are powerful tools for creating flexible layouts.
- Properties like
flex-wrap,minmax, andauto-fillin Grid can help achieve impressive responsiveness with minimal effort. - auto-fill
Additional Resources
- Using margin instead of percentage is a great way to maintain natural responsiveness.