responsivo

Responsivo is an adjective used in Portuguese and Spanish to describe something capable of responding or reacting. In technology and design, the term is commonly applied to systems, interfaces, and layouts that adapt to user needs, device constraints, or changing contexts. In this usage, responsivo is closely aligned with the English term responsive.

In web development, responsive design (often referred to as responsive web design) aims to create web pages that reorganize and resize content to fit a range of devices without requiring separate versions. This approach gained prominence in the early 2010s and is widely attributed to Ethan Marcotte, who popularized the term in his writings and the first guidelines.

The core techniques of responsive design include fluid grids that use relative units like percentages, flexible images that scale with their containers, and CSS media queries that apply different styles based on viewport characteristics such as width, height, or orientation. A mobile-first strategy often guides development, starting with small screens and progressively enhancing the layout for larger displays. Accessibility and performance considerations, such as appropriate viewport metadata and touch-friendly controls, are integral.

Responsive design is often contrasted with adaptive design, which relies on fixed layouts for predefined sizes. In practice, teams may combine approaches to optimize user experience. Responsivo implementations are now standard for websites, web apps, and dashboards, enabling consistent readability, navigation, and interaction across desktops, tablets, and smartphones.