📺"We had optimized every pixel… until we saw the website on a 65-inch screen at a trade show."
That was when we realized responsive web design isn't so much about mobile anymore. It's about every screen—especially the ones you're not testing on.
In the rush to become mobile-first (and rightly so), designers and developers forget that users today consume the web on a expanding range of devices:
Smart TVs
Digital kiosks
Interactive mirrors
Car dashboards
Touch-screen point-of-sale terminals
Projectors and large conference screens
If your website or web app is not flexible enough for these devices, it's lacking contextual perfection—and likely delivering a broken experience.
🧠Rethinking Responsive: It's Not Just About Screen Size
Old responsive design was all about screen width—break points for phone, tablet, and desktop. But if you extend your thinking beyond phones and laptops, a whole new world of interaction types, user distances, and nav tools is yours.
Let's break it down:
➤ Smart TVs:
Users are at a distance — let's say 10 feet, not 10 inches
They navigate with remotes, not their fingers
Fonts need to be large and legible from a distance
Performance matters; smart TVs have low-power CPUs
➤ Kiosks:
Often touch-based but interacted with in a rush
Need little navigation and obvious CTAs
Designed for single-task fulfillment (e.g., ticket purchase, information search)
Crashed into by users who don't know your UI
➤ Large Displays (Expos, Offices, Dashboards):
No interaction at all; only for display or ambient content
Animations should be slow and readable
Content must be short and high contrast
đź’ˇBest Practices for Designing Beyond Mobile
Here's what you can do to take your responsive strategy to complete device-aware design:
âś… 1. Use Fluid Layouts with Flexible Grids
Bin pixel-perfect design. Embrace % widths, viewport units (vw, vh), and CSS Grid to make the elements scale.
âś… 2. Employ Extra-Large Breakpoints
Use custom media queries for ultrawide displays:
@media screen and (min-width: 1920px) {
body {
font-size: 1.5rem;
}
}
âś… 3. Design for Distance
Use larger fonts and high contrast colors when designing for displays that are remote (e.g., smart TVs, dashboards).
âś…4. Simplify Navigation
Where possible, on non-touch UIs (TVs, remotes) and kiosks, reduce the usage of dropdowns or hover. Think tab-based navigation, large buttons, and linear flows.
âś…5. Test in Context
Don't simply miniaturize your browser—test on hardware. What looks good on a 27" screen will fall apart on a 60" screen from afar.
âś… 6. Design for Non-Standard Inputs
Design for remotes, styluses, gestures, or even nothing. Use focus indicators, keyboard navigation, and auto-scroll where applicable.
đź“Ś Real-World Use Case: From Angst to Function
We just helped a client reimagine their web app for a chain of touchscreen kiosks in retail settings. The initial site—beautiful on desktop—wasn't accessible on a 32" touchscreen:
❌ Tiny fonts
❌ Hidden dropdowns
❌ Clunky navigation
❌ No on-screen keyboard support
We reimagined it with flat design, spacious tap zones, minimal UI, and sticky navigation buttons. Outcome? 🛍️ Customer interaction grew 31% in the first month, and support tickets reduced by half.
đź“Ł Last Words: Think Beyond the Pixel
Responsive design has always been about meeting users where they are—and today, they’re everywhere. If your design thinking stops at mobile breakpoints, you’re ignoring a growing segment of screens that influence customer experience, branding, and even business results.
👉 Start asking:
How will this look on a TV?
Can someone interact with this on a kiosk or dashboard?
Is it readable, usable, and intuitive—even without touch?
💬 Let’s Discuss:
Have you ever had to re-design for a non-standard screen? What was the experience like?
Leave a comment and share your nightmares or lessons learned — we can learn together.