Mobile-first approach in CSS

The mobile-first strategy means that the styles of the website are designed first for the smallest screen size, and then expanded upwards for larger devices. This ensures that the mobile experience is always primary and optimized.

Principles

In mobile-first CSS, the initial styles always target mobile devices. Then media queries with min-width conditions are used to add additional styles for larger screens.

In this example, the text size starts optimized for mobile devices and then gradually increases on larger screens.

Navigation in mobile-first mode

Mobile-first navigation appears in a column by default, then with media queries it transforms into a flexible layout on larger screens.

In this example, the navigation appears stacked on mobile, while on larger displays it arranges horizontally.

Tips for the mobile-first strategy

The mobile-first approach helps simplify development and provide a better experience for users.

• Always start with the smallest screen and only add styles, do not take them away.
• Use min-width media queries so styles scale upwards.
• Test the interface on real mobile devices, not just in the browser.