Difference Between Responsive Design and Adaptive Design

As a frontend developer or UI designer, this is definitely one of the most asked questions according to Java Point.

Responsive design and adaptive design are both methods used to make a website or application look and function well on different devices with different screen sizes and resolutions. However, they work in slightly different ways.

Responsive design

Responsive design is a design approach that uses flexible grid-based layout, flexible images, and CSS media queries to make a website or application automatically adjust its layout and elements to fit the screen on which it's being viewed. In other words, the layout and elements of the website or application change based on the screen size and resolution, so it looks and functions well on any device.

Adaptive design

Adaptive design is a design approach that uses a set of pre-designed layouts for specific screen sizes and resolutions. These layouts are called "breakpoints" and the website or application switches to a different layout based on the screen size and resolution. In other words, the layout and elements of the website or application are fixed for specific screen sizes and resolutions. E.g. creating several image file sizes to carter for different screen sizes.

In summary:

• Responsive design is a fluid and flexible approach that adapts to different devices using a single codebase.

• Adaptive design is a more rigid approach that uses different layouts for specific devices with different codebase.

Both approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but responsive design is considered more popular and flexible for modern web development.