The challenges of translating design into a responsive website build

Discussing Stupid: A byte-sized podcast on stupid UX

Discussing Stupid has a new look! This episode marks the beginning of our refreshed brand—featuring a brand new website, sleek color scheme, updated album cover, and a restructured intro sequence. While our look has evolved, our mission remains the same: breaking down the biggest digital mistakes so you don’t have to make them.

In Episode 11, host Virgil Carroll is joined by co-host Cole from High Monkey, along with developer Chad, to tackle a common but frustrating issue—why web designs that look perfect in Figma often fall apart when built for real-world use.

They explore the biggest challenges of translating static designs into fully responsive websites, including:

• The problem with designing for just one screen size
• Why text, images, and layouts often break in development
• What developers wish designers knew about responsive design
• Lessons learned from their own website redesign mistakes

Chad shares a developer’s perspective on why rigid, pixel-perfect designs don’t always work and how to approach layouts with flexibility in mind. Through real-world experiences—including High Monkey’s own site rebuild—the team discusses the need for good communication between design and development and how to avoid the most common headaches.

To close things out, they share practical tips on designing for multiple screen sizes, working more effectively with developers, and ensuring that your website doesn’t just look great—it actually functions for all the devices browsing your website.

New intro, new look, new website, same crew ready to help you avoid dumb digital mistakes! Join us every two weeks for fresh episodes, and don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. For more resources and updates, visit www.discussingstupid.com.

(0:00) - Intro

(2:06) Design is checkers… development is chess

(4:53) Common responsive design fails

(7:18) Unfortunately we are speaking from experience.

(11:09) How many breakpoints do you design for???

(15:40) Designers & developers need to talk

(18:07) - Outro

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