CSS
Definition
Cascading Style Sheets – the code that controls how websites look. It handles colours, fonts, layouts, spacing, and visual effects.
What is CSS?
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) controls the visual appearance of web pages. While HTML provides structure, CSS makes it look good. It handles colours, fonts, spacing, layouts, animations, and how elements adapt to different screen sizes.
Every professionally designed website uses CSS extensively. Without it, websites would be plain black text on white backgrounds with blue underlined links – functional but ugly.
How CSS Works
CSS works by selecting HTML elements and applying styles to them. You can target elements by their type, class, ID, or position in the page structure.
What CSS Controls
- Colours – text, backgrounds, borders
- Typography – fonts, sizes, line spacing, text alignment
- Layout – how elements are positioned and arranged
- Spacing – margins and padding around elements
- Responsive design – how the site adapts to different screens
- Animations – transitions, hover effects, movement
Why CSS Matters
Brand Consistency
CSS ensures your website matches your brand identity. Your colours, fonts, and visual style remain consistent across every page.
User Experience
Good CSS creates visual hierarchy, making content scannable and easy to navigate. Proper spacing, readable fonts, and intuitive layouts keep visitors engaged.
Mobile Responsiveness
CSS media queries allow sites to adapt to any screen size – from phones to large desktop monitors. This is essential as over 60% of web traffic now comes from mobile devices.
Performance
Well-written CSS loads quickly and doesn't slow down your site. Poorly written CSS can bloat file sizes and hurt page speed.