Responsive Design — Mobile-First Patterns
Build responsive interfaces with mobile-first breakpoints, container queries, and responsive images.
Responsive design isn't about making your desktop layout shrink. It's about designing for the smallest screen first and enhancing as space becomes available. This mental shift — mobile-first — produces better designs, simpler CSS, and faster mobile performance.
Over 60% of web traffic is mobile. If your app doesn't work on a phone, it doesn't work for most of your users.
Mobile-First With Tailwind
Tailwind's breakpoint prefixes work mobile-first by default. Unprefixed utilities apply to all screen sizes. Prefixed utilities (md:, lg:) apply at that breakpoint and above:
<div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-4">
{/* 1 column on mobile, 2 on tablet, 3 on desktop */}
</div>This means you write the mobile layout first (no prefix),
This lesson is part of the Guild Member curriculum. Plans start at $29/mo.
