Responsive Web Design Testing: The Complete Beginner’s Guide

In today’s digital era, the use of mobile devices to access the internet has grown significantly. The majority of internet users now expect websites to have a mobile version.

However, most websites are not optimized for mobile devices as well as they should be. Testers should conduct mobile responsive tests on responsive designs.

Traditional software products display the same way on any device.

For instance, Microsoft Office looks identical on every personal computer. Imagine taking Microsoft Word as it is on your desktop and trying to view it on an iPhone4. Either the menus and buttons will appear tiny, or you’ll only see a corner of the screen and need to use extensive scrollbars. In both cases, the application becomes unusable.

This frustrating experience is what every designer encounters when designing for the web.

The solution to this problem is something called “responsive design”, a technique that allows web pages to adapt to different screen resolutions and re-design the user experience accordingly. Suddenly, it becomes impossible to know exactly how your software will look in production.

This means that the test strategy (and automation strategy) needs to be capable of experimenting and learning what “looks right” and what doesn’t at various resolutions.

Beginner’s Guide to Test Responsive Website Designs

When we open a website, the server reads “m.sub-domains” to identify the mobile device the request originated from and redirects the user to the corresponding mobile version.

To achieve 100% effectiveness in this process, each device should have its own specific website design built for it. For example, different designs for Blackberry, iPhone, iPad, etc., taking into account their screen size and resolutions.

However, creating different web versions for every resolution and device is not feasible. Ethan Marcotte came up with a new approach called Responsive Web Design (RWD) to solve this problem.

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Our Recommendation

#1) LT Browser

LT Browser helps users test and debug their websites on 45+ device viewports. With LT Browser, a dev-friendly browser for mobile view debugging, you can test your website on different pre-installed mobile and desktop device viewports. You can choose two devices for side-by-side view comparison.

In addition to testing, LT Browser also allows users to debug their websites on the go with the help of the built-in DevTools. You can even create a custom device based on your requirements. LT Browser is our top choice for responsive testing.

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What is Responsive Web Design?

Responsive Web Design (RWD) aims to make websites react and adapt correctly to different devices and resolutions. For example, if a user switches from a desktop or laptop to an iPad, the website should automatically adjust the resolution and other elements, such as image size, to ensure a seamless user experience.

In short, Responsive Design means “One website for every screen”.

Here’s an example of RWD:

Note: A real-time example of a responsive website is www.fpl.com

In RWD, websites are designed to provide a superior user experience with easy navigation and a clear, simple user interface. Responsive websites work well on all resolutions, browsers, screen sizes, hardware, and operating systems.

• Responsive websites are developed using PHP, .Net, Java, CQ5, and many other frameworks that make it easy to create responsive designs.
• CSS and HTML features are used to automatically resize screen resolutions and images.
• RWD uses breakpoints to identify the layout of a site. Different designs are applied based on different breakpoints, which are generally determined by the width of the browser.
• When designing a responsive website, developers consider the content, design, and performance of the site across all devices to ensure usability.

The diagram below is a good representation of how content adapts to different devices.

Note: Another approach to responsive design is Adaptive Web Design (AWD). In AWD, each device has a specific design, but it may not be suitable in all cases as it requires more time and resources compared to RWD.

Advantages of Responsive Design:

#1) User Experience: Responsive websites adapt to different devices, hiding unnecessary elements and helping users achieve their goals faster. For example, when opening a responsive website on a mobile device, it hides unimportant elements and speeds up page loading.

#2) Sharing or Linking: Responsive websites use a single URL for different devices, providing a better user experience and easier sharing.

#3) Minimal maintenance is required for a responsive website.

#4) Responsive layouts are fluid and adjust to different screen sizes.

Differences between Responsive Web Design and Adaptive Web Design:

RWD and AWD are closely related:

• RWD quickly reacts to changes, while AWD can be easily modified for new purposes.
• RWD uses multiple fluid grid layouts, while AWD uses multiple fixed-width layouts.
• Images in RWD are context-aware.

Main Components of Responsive Website Design:

Responsive Web Design has three main components:

#1) Flexible Layouts: A website with a flexible grid that can be easily resized dynamically.

#2) Media Queries: Provide different styles for browsers and devices based on context, such as screen orientation and viewport size.

#3) Flexible Media: Images, videos, and other media should also adjust their size or resolution based on the screen size requirements.

Note: “Viewport” refers to the area of the browser where the website’s content is displayed, excluding toolbars and tabs.

Responsive Web Design Examples

Example #1)

Open the website www.fpl.com on different devices and observe the URL. The URL of a responsive website should be the same for all devices.

a) View of the responsive website on a desktop or laptop (large screen size)

b) View of the responsive website on a tablet (medium screen size)

c) View of the responsive website on a mobile (small screen size)

Example #2)

Open the site www.yepme.com on a laptop and a mobile device and compare the URLs. This link is not a responsive link.

a) View of a non-responsive website on a desktop or laptop

b) View of a non-responsive website on a mobile

How to Test a Responsive Website

Testing a responsive website means testing the website or URL on different devices. Manual testing is not feasible due to the large number of possible device configurations.

One possible approach for responsive testing is to resize the browser window as per the test scenario. Some browsers provide plugins or extensions to view the viewport area in pixels, making testing easier. Other browsers, like Chrome, provide a feature called “Emulator” to change the screen features and environment to mimic the desired testing device.

However, using emulators alone may not provide an exact testing environment. In such cases, it is recommended to test on actual devices to ensure accurate testing results.

Sample Test scenarios for responsive website testing:

When testing a responsive website, it is important to ensure that the design is consistent across different devices and resolutions. Here are some sample test scenarios for testing a responsive website:

#1) Verify that the URL remains the same for all browsers and devices, regardless of the screen resolution.

#2) Check that the display location of content (images, sub-links, menus, etc.) changes dynamically based on the screen resolution.

#3) Ensure that the URLs of the sub-links on the responsive website are resolution-specific.

#4) Verify that the user experience (content visibility, menus, etc.) remains consistent across different devices and breakpoints.

#5) Test if the responsive website redirects to the respective mobile application when clicking on specific sub-links.

#6) Check that images on the responsive website are resolution-specific.

#7) Test for any unexpected redirects when clicking anywhere on the web page.

#8) Verify that images and other content adapt dynamically at breakpoints.

Tools to Test a Responsive Website

There are several tools available to test responsive websites:

#1) Responsive design checker – A tool to test and preview responsive websites with different device viewports.

#2) Screenfly – A tool to test responsive websites by selecting different device layouts or custom resolutions.

#3) Designmodo – A tool to test and capture responsive screenshots of website designs.

#4) isResponsive – Another tool to test and preview responsive websites on different devices.

#5) Mattkersley – A tool to view responsive websites on multiple screen sizes simultaneously.

These tools can help test responsive websites and ensure that they are working correctly across different devices and resolutions.

Challenges of Testing Responsive Design and Possible Solutions

Dynamic Test Strategy

Testing responsive designs can be challenging due to the large number of possible platforms and screen sizes. Traditional test approaches may not be suitable as they can be time-consuming and difficult to maintain. Visual testing can provide a scalable solution by capturing full-page screenshots and comparing on-page elements. This approach reduces the maintenance burden and provides more reliable results.

Responsive Testing for Responsive Design

Responsive design poses a coverage problem as there are numerous potential platforms and screen sizes. It is important to strike a balance between technical feasibility and test coverage. Visual testing can help achieve good UI coverage while managing the maintenance burden. A combination of visual testing and UI automation frameworks, such as web driver, can offer a scalable solution.

Tips for Responsive Web Testing

#1) Pay attention to design consistency across different browsers and operating systems.

#2) Familiarize yourself with the testing scope and approach for different devices and breakpoints.

#3) Collaborate with developers to create the necessary test conditions.

#4) Ensure that the website content is readable at all resolutions.

#5) Verify that important content remains visible across all breakpoints.

#6) Test the clickability of elements when resizing the browser.

#7) Test features specific to mobile devices on actual devices.

#8) Use tools to simplify and automate responsive testing tasks.

Conclusion

Testing responsive web design comes with its own set of challenges. However, with the right approach and tools, these challenges can be overcome. Responsive testing is crucial for the success of mobile applications, as mobile users have high expectations. Implementing and thoroughly testing responsive design is a great way to meet these expectations and provide a seamless user experience.

We hope the information, tips, and test scenarios discussed in this guide will help you in your responsive website testing efforts. Don’t hesitate to try out the examples and let us know if you have any questions or comments.

About the author: This guest post was written by Laxmi, a senior software test engineer with over 7 years of experience in software testing.