I’m working on a new website layout using Figma and trying to figure out the right canvas size to start with. Previously I used 1920x1080 dimensions but when I view the designs on my MacBook Pro the spacing looks off and some components appear stretched or positioned incorrectly. The breakpoints don’t seem to translate well between different devices. I want to choose a resolution that will work better across various screen sizes without major layout issues. What canvas dimensions do most designers recommend for creating responsive web designs that look consistent on both desktop and laptop displays?
1440px width is my sweet spot after dealing with this exact problem. 1920px designs mess with your head - they make you think you have way more whitespace and room than users actually get. Most people don’t browse fullscreen anyway, even on big monitors. I stopped thinking about screen resolution and started focusing on actual viewport width. Changed everything. 1440px gives you proper desktop space without being unrealistic about how people browse. For height, I go with 900px or just let it flow naturally. Here’s what clicked for me: when you design at crazy wide resolutions, everything else looks cramped afterward. Your MacBook issues make total sense - the design assumes space that just isn’t there in real browsing scenarios.
Been dealing with this exact headache for years. The real problem isn’t just picking the right canvas size - it’s managing all those breakpoints and responsive adjustments manually.
I use 1366px width since that’s what most users actually have. But even with perfect dimensions, you’ll still spend forever tweaking layouts for different screens.
What changed everything for me was automating the whole responsive process. I design in Figma like usual, then use Latenode to automatically generate and test different breakpoint versions. Set up one workflow that takes your Figma designs and creates optimized layouts for desktop, tablet, and mobile simultaneously.
No more manual resizing or guessing how components will look. The automation handles spacing calculations and element positioning across all screen sizes. Saves me probably 10 hours per project.
You can connect Figma directly to your development workflow too. Design once, deploy everywhere without the tedious breakpoint adjustments.
I switched to 1440px width after hitting the same problems with 1920px designs. Starting at 1920 just optimizes everything for huge monitors, so it looks cramped on regular laptops. Most analytics put the sweet spot at 1366-1440px anyway. I use 1024px height or just make it flexible depending on content. This saves me tons of adjustment time since spacing and proportions actually work on real screens. You should also try mobile-first design - it makes you think about content hierarchy upfront instead of cramming desktop layouts into tiny screens.
go with 1200px width - that’s bootstrap’s large breakpoint and most devs expect it, so handoffs are way easier. don’t worry about height, just set your figma artboard to auto-height so content flows naturally without getting cropped.
The canvas size debate misses the point. Sure, 1366px or 1440px beats 1920px, but you’re still doing endless manual work for each breakpoint.
I learned this managing responsive designs for multiple products. Pick the perfect canvas, nail desktop, then spend days tweaking tablet and mobile. Client wants changes? Back to adjusting every breakpoint.
Automating the whole responsive workflow changed everything. I still start with 1366px in Figma, but Latenode generates all breakpoint variations automatically. One workflow grabs my Figma designs and creates optimized versions for every screen size.
It calculates spacing, repositions elements, and tests how everything looks across devices. What took a week of manual tweaks now takes minutes.
Connect it straight to your dev pipeline too. Design once in Figma, automation handles responsive versions, push directly to staging. No more guessing if spacing works on real devices.
That 1920px trap gets everyone. I used to design desktop-first and it screwed with my expectations about space. Real analytics changed everything for me - most traffic hits from 1366px and 1440px screens, not those giant 4K setups. I stick with 1366px width now after testing tons of projects. Your MacBook’s pixel density is probably throwing you off compared to standard monitors - that’s why stuff looks stretched. View your designs at 100% zoom on different devices before you call it done. Most people don’t even browse full-screen anyway. Starting smaller forces better content decisions upfront instead of cramming everything in just because there’s room.
After years of this stuff, I just use 1280px width as my starting point. Covers most users without that bloated 1920px look. Here’s what I learned: design for the smallest common desktop first, then scale up. I start with 1280x800, then add breakpoints at 768px (tablets) and 375px (mobile). Those spacing issues you’re having? You’re probably designing on too big a canvas. Elements get positioned assuming there’s tons of space, then break on smaller screens. Use Figma’s constraints and auto-layout way more - they’ll keep your proportions intact across different sizes.