What is the difference between responsive and adaptive web design?

We all know the importance of developing mobile-friendly sites when so many searches occur on smartphones. At the same time, plenty of people still use laptops and desktop computers to access websites, so we don’t want to swap out one for the other.

This is where responsive web design and adaptive web design come in. Both approaches aim to design websites that provide a better user experience, no matter the device in use. But what are the differences between the two, and which is better to use for your site?

Responsive Web Design focuses on creating a flexible and fluid website layout that adapts to different screen sizes and resolutions. It uses CSS media queries to detect the characteristics of the user’s device and adjusts the layout accordingly. With responsive design, a single website design and codebase are used for all devices. Think of RWD like an arrangement of blocks, with each element as a block.

RWD sites use percentages for layout elements like image and text so they automatically scale and adjust proportionately based on the size of the screen in use. Like blocks moving around, elements may stack vertically or horizontally based on the orientation.

Adaptive Web Design differs because it involves creating multiple versions of the website to match different devices or screen orientations. Think of AWD like a set of templates containing the same content, positioned a different way for each device size. AWD uses the server to collect information about the device the user is using and serves it the appropriate version. Elements on AWD-designed pages are fixed and don’t move around like they do for RWD.

It is ultimately up to you which web design method to use. Most WordPress themes use responsive web design, but make sure you evaluate that before settling on a theme if the design style is something that really matters to you.