How Do I Create a Responsive Web Design?

December 6, 2025

If there is one question I get more than any other as a web designer who started this journey back in 2019, it is this: “How do you actually create a responsive website design?” I understand why people ask it — because building something that adjusts perfectly on phones, tablets, laptops, and even TVs is one of the biggest challenges beginners face. And to be honest, it was also one of my own struggles when I started designing my first projects with Canva mockups and translating them into live websites.

So in this article, I’ll show you exactly how to create a responsive web design, using practical knowledge I have gained from building websites for clients in Nigeria and beyond — from Taculia Designs to EssienOGroup, Starberry Group, Taculia Records, and many more.

How Do I Create a Responsive Web Design?

You create a responsive web design by using fluid layouts, flexible images, CSS media queries, mobile-first structure, and consistent testing across devices. In simple terms: your website must adapt itself automatically to any screen size without breaking.

But the real truth is this — responsive design is not just about tools or code. It is about planning the right structure from the beginning so your layout naturally flows no matter the device viewing it.

Now let’s go deeper and break it down the same way I build responsive projects for my clients.

Understanding What “Responsive” Truly Means

Responsive does not merely mean “it works on mobile.” A site might open on a phone but still be difficult to use. True responsiveness means:

  • The layout adjusts without overlapping or squeezing text.
  • Images resize without losing quality or covering text.
  • Buttons remain easy to click, even on small screens.
  • The user experience stays smooth across all devices.

Back in 2019, when I first built one of my early projects, I discovered something: responsiveness is not something you add at the end — it is something you plan from the beginning. This realization changed everything for me.

Start With a Mobile-First Mindset

Many designers still do it the old way — design the desktop first, then shrink things down for mobile. But having built countless websites for businesses, ministries, and organizations, I’ve learned that mobile-first is the smartest approach.

Why? Because:

  • Most users in Nigeria browse with mobile phones.
  • Google ranks mobile-friendly websites higher.
  • Mobile design forces you to focus on what truly matters.

Once your mobile design is clean and readable, expanding it into larger screens becomes much easier. It creates a natural flow in the layout that adapts gracefully.

Use Flexible Grid Layouts

This is one of the biggest foundations of responsiveness. Whether you use CSS Grid, Flexbox, or a page builder, grids ensure your layout stretches or shrinks smoothly.

For example, instead of fixing a column to 500px width, you use percentage-based values like:

width: 50%;

This means your content can adapt to any screen.

When I worked on the EssienOGroup website, I used a 3-column grid for desktop that naturally collapsed into two columns on tablets and one column on mobile. That saved me hours of manual adjustments.

Use CSS Media Queries Wisely

This is where you instruct the website to behave differently at different screen sizes. Something like:

@media (max-width: 768px) {
  .section {
    padding: 20px;
  }
}

This tells the browser what to do when the screen becomes smaller than 768px. I use media queries on every project because no matter how clean your layout is, some adjustments always become necessary.

Make Images Fully Responsive

Another mistake beginners make is uploading fixed-size images. But the better approach is to use:

img {
  width: 100%;
  height: auto;
}

This allows images to shrink automatically on smaller screens without losing their aspect ratio.

I learned this the hard way in 2020 when a client’s website banner covered half the text on mobile. Since then, “flexible images” has always been a rule in my workflow.

Choose Typography That Scales

Big desktop fonts become oversized on mobile. Small mobile fonts become too tiny on desktop. To solve this, responsive typography uses units like:

  • rem (root-relative)
  • em (element-relative)
  • vw (viewport width)

This keeps text readable and balanced no matter the screen.

Spacing Is the Secret Ingredient

I always tell beginners: “Your spacing can break your entire responsiveness.”

Here’s why:

  • Too little spacing makes content cramped on mobile.
  • Too much spacing makes layouts empty on desktop.

I fix this using relative spacing units so the website breathes naturally across screens.

Test Your Layout on Real Devices

No matter how perfect your layout looks in your browser’s preview mode, you will always see something different on real phones.

For example, when building the Starberry Group site, it looked flawless on my laptop — until I checked a small Tecno device and saw that some sections stretched awkwardly. That is why I always test on three devices:

  • My main laptop
  • A mid-size tablet
  • A basic Android phone

This is the closest you can get to real-world testing, especially for Nigerian audiences who use different device types.

Use Tools That Support Responsiveness

You don’t need advanced coding skills. In fact, with modern tools like:

  • Elementor
  • WordPress Block Editor
  • Wix
  • Figma (for mockups)
  • Canva (basic UI mockups)

…you can structure a fully responsive website with drag-and-drop features. Coding is no longer a barrier.

Use Consistent Layout Structure

Before building any site, I map out these elements:

  • Header
  • Hero section
  • Services
  • About
  • Testimonials
  • Footer

This creates a logical flow that responds predictably to various screen sizes.

Understand Breakpoints

Breakpoints are the screen sizes where your design changes layout. The major ones are:

  • 1200px — desktops
  • 992px — small laptops
  • 768px — tablets
  • 576px — mobile

Planning around breakpoints ensures your website shifts smoothly instead of suddenly collapsing.

Real Examples From My Experience

I’ve redesigned several websites that failed because the original designer ignored responsiveness. Here are a few scenarios:

EssienOGroup

Their homepage originally broke on mobile, causing a 6-second scroll before content showed. After restructuring the grid and optimizing hero images, bounce rate dropped significantly.

Taculia Records

Built entirely mobile-first. The desktop version automatically expanded beautifully because the mobile structure was solid.

Starberry Group

During testing, the footer overlapped the contact form on smaller screens. A simple media query fixed the entire issue.

Create a Consistent Visual Hierarchy

A strong visual hierarchy ensures users feel comfortable navigating your website no matter the device. I organize my designs using:

  • Bold headings
  • Clear spacing between sections
  • Button placement that doesn’t shift unpredictably

Keep Navigation Simple

This is a huge part of responsive design. Mobile menus should collapse into hamburger icons. Desktop menus can stay expanded. A clean navigation boosts user experience and keeps everything readable.

Final Thoughts

Create responsive design by planning properly, using flexible units, testing across devices, and understanding user behavior. It is not magic. It is structure, discipline, and real-world testing. And with every project you build, your confidence grows.

Responsive design is no longer a “bonus skill” — it is a necessary requirement if you want your website to survive in today’s digital world.