responsive-layout-builder
Build responsive layouts with CSS Grid, Flexbox, and container queries. Use when creating responsive designs, fixing layout issues, or building mobile-first layouts.
What this skill does
# Responsive Layout Builder
## Instructions
When building responsive layouts:
1. **Identify the layout pattern** (grid, sidebar, cards, etc.)
2. **Start mobile-first**
3. **Use appropriate CSS technique** (Grid vs Flexbox)
4. **Add breakpoints** for larger screens
5. **Test across viewports**
## Breakpoints
```css
/* Tailwind defaults */
sm: 640px /* Small devices */
md: 768px /* Tablets */
lg: 1024px /* Laptops */
xl: 1280px /* Desktops */
2xl: 1536px /* Large screens */
/* Custom CSS */
@media (min-width: 640px) { }
@media (min-width: 768px) { }
@media (min-width: 1024px) { }
```
## Common Layout Patterns
### 1. Holy Grail Layout
```tsx
// Tailwind CSS
<div className="min-h-screen flex flex-col">
<header className="h-16 bg-white border-b">Header</header>
<div className="flex-1 flex">
<aside className="hidden md:block w-64 bg-gray-50 border-r">
Sidebar
</aside>
<main className="flex-1 p-6">
Main Content
</main>
</div>
<footer className="h-16 bg-white border-t">Footer</footer>
</div>
```
```css
/* Plain CSS */
.layout {
display: grid;
grid-template-rows: auto 1fr auto;
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
min-height: 100vh;
}
@media (min-width: 768px) {
.layout {
grid-template-columns: 250px 1fr;
}
.header, .footer {
grid-column: 1 / -1;
}
}
```
### 2. Responsive Card Grid
```tsx
// Tailwind - Auto-fit cards
<div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 xl:grid-cols-4 gap-6">
{items.map(item => (
<Card key={item.id} {...item} />
))}
</div>
// Auto-fill with minimum width
<div className="grid grid-cols-[repeat(auto-fill,minmax(280px,1fr))] gap-6">
{items.map(item => (
<Card key={item.id} {...item} />
))}
</div>
```
```css
/* Plain CSS */
.card-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(280px, 1fr));
gap: 1.5rem;
}
```
### 3. Sidebar Layout
```tsx
// Fixed sidebar, scrollable content
<div className="flex h-screen">
<aside className="w-64 flex-shrink-0 overflow-y-auto border-r bg-gray-50">
<nav className="p-4">Sidebar Nav</nav>
</aside>
<main className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto">
<div className="p-6">Main Content</div>
</main>
</div>
// Collapsible sidebar
<div className="flex h-screen">
<aside className={cn(
"flex-shrink-0 overflow-y-auto border-r bg-gray-50 transition-all",
isOpen ? "w-64" : "w-16"
)}>
<nav className="p-4">...</nav>
</aside>
<main className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto p-6">...</main>
</div>
```
### 4. Hero Section
```tsx
<section className="relative min-h-[60vh] flex items-center justify-center px-4">
{/* Background */}
<div className="absolute inset-0 bg-gradient-to-br from-blue-600 to-purple-700" />
{/* Content */}
<div className="relative z-10 max-w-4xl mx-auto text-center text-white">
<h1 className="text-4xl md:text-5xl lg:text-6xl font-bold">
Headline Here
</h1>
<p className="mt-6 text-lg md:text-xl opacity-90 max-w-2xl mx-auto">
Subheadline text goes here with more details.
</p>
<div className="mt-8 flex flex-col sm:flex-row gap-4 justify-center">
<button className="px-8 py-3 bg-white text-blue-600 rounded-lg font-semibold">
Primary CTA
</button>
<button className="px-8 py-3 border-2 border-white rounded-lg font-semibold">
Secondary CTA
</button>
</div>
</div>
</section>
```
### 5. Masonry Grid
```tsx
// CSS Columns approach
<div className="columns-1 sm:columns-2 lg:columns-3 gap-6 space-y-6">
{items.map(item => (
<div key={item.id} className="break-inside-avoid">
<Card {...item} />
</div>
))}
</div>
```
### 6. Sticky Header
```tsx
<header className="sticky top-0 z-50 bg-white/80 backdrop-blur-md border-b">
<nav className="max-w-7xl mx-auto px-4 h-16 flex items-center justify-between">
<Logo />
<NavLinks className="hidden md:flex" />
<MobileMenuButton className="md:hidden" />
</nav>
</header>
```
## Container Queries (Modern)
```css
/* Define container */
.card-container {
container-type: inline-size;
}
/* Query the container */
@container (min-width: 400px) {
.card {
display: flex;
flex-direction: row;
}
}
```
```tsx
// Tailwind v3.2+
<div className="@container">
<div className="flex flex-col @md:flex-row">
<img className="w-full @md:w-48" />
<div className="p-4">Content</div>
</div>
</div>
```
## Flexbox vs Grid Decision
| Use Flexbox | Use Grid |
|-------------|----------|
| Navigation bars | Page layouts |
| Card content alignment | Card grids |
| Centering content | Complex 2D layouts |
| Space distribution | Overlapping elements |
| Unknown item count | Defined structure |
## Responsive Typography
```tsx
// Fluid typography with clamp
<h1 className="text-[clamp(2rem,5vw,4rem)]">
Responsive Heading
</h1>
// Tailwind responsive
<h1 className="text-2xl sm:text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl">
Responsive Heading
</h1>
```
## Testing Checklist
- [ ] 320px (small phones)
- [ ] 375px (iPhone)
- [ ] 768px (tablet portrait)
- [ ] 1024px (tablet landscape / laptop)
- [ ] 1280px+ (desktop)
- [ ] Test with actual content (not lorem ipsum)
- [ ] Test with long/short content variations
Related in Web Dev
generating-lwc-components
IncludedLightning Web Components with PICKLES methodology and 165-point scoring. Use this skill when the user creates or edits LWC components, builds wire service patterns, or writes Jest tests for LWC. TRIGGER when: user creates/edits LWC components, touches lwc/**/*.js, .html, .css, .js-meta.xml files, or asks about wire service, SLDS, or Jest LWC tests. DO NOT TRIGGER when: Apex classes (use generating-apex), Aura components, or Visualforce.
tanstack-query
IncludedManage server state in React with TanStack Query v5. Set up queries with useQuery, mutations with useMutation, configure QueryClient caching strategies, implement optimistic updates, and handle infinite scroll with useInfiniteQuery. Use when: setting up data fetching in React projects, migrating from v4 to v5, or fixing object syntax required errors, query callbacks removed issues, cacheTime renamed to gcTime, isPending vs isLoading confusion, keepPreviousData removed problems.
document-processor-api
IncludedProcess documents with Nutrient DWS. Use when the user wants to generate PDFs from HTML or URLs, convert Office/images/PDFs, assemble or split packets, OCR scans, extract text/tables/key-value pairs, redact PII, watermark, sign, fill forms, optimize PDFs, or produce compliance outputs like PDF/A or PDF/UA. Triggers include convert to PDF, merge these PDFs, OCR this scan, extract tables, redact PII, sign this PDF, make this PDF/A, or linearize for web delivery.
nutrient-document-processing
IncludedProcess documents with Nutrient DWS. Use when the user wants to generate PDFs from HTML or URLs, convert Office/images/PDFs, assemble or split packets, OCR scans, extract text/tables/key-value pairs, redact PII, watermark, sign, fill forms, optimize PDFs, or produce compliance outputs like PDF/A or PDF/UA. Triggers include convert to PDF, merge these PDFs, OCR this scan, extract tables, redact PII, sign this PDF, make this PDF/A, or linearize for web delivery.
tanstack-query
IncludedManage server state in React with TanStack Query v5. Covers useMutationState, simplified optimistic updates, throwOnError, network mode (offline/PWA), and infiniteQueryOptions. Use when setting up data fetching, fixing v4→v5 migration errors (object syntax, gcTime, isPending, keepPreviousData), or debugging SSR/hydration issues with streaming server components.
accelint-nextjs-best-practices
IncludedNext.js performance optimization and best practices. Use when writing Next.js code (App Router or Pages Router); implementing Server Components, Server Actions, or API routes; optimizing RSC serialization, data fetching, or server-side rendering; reviewing Next.js code for performance issues; fixing authentication in Server Actions; or implementing Suspense boundaries, parallel data fetching, or request deduplication.