Applying CSS to Individual Screens

Lesson Description: Each page received its own CSS styling to reflect its function. The technique involves structuring layouts consistently (e.g., centered containers, cards for list items, buttons with hover effects), but adjusting details (colors, labels, interactions) per screen. This reinforces modular CSS: styling one feature without breaking another.

Introduction

When developing a multi-page web application, one of the most overlooked but critical aspects is how CSS is applied. A poorly structured CSS file can lead to conflicts, inconsistent layouts, and time-consuming maintenance. This lesson explores how to apply CSS individually to each screen while maintaining a cohesive design system.

Why Separate CSS by Screen?

In real-world web applications, each screen or page has a unique purpose. For example:

• A dashboard page might focus on summaries and quick stats.
• A gift progress page might highlight completion bars and progress trackers.
• A reader interface page might emphasize typography and readability.

By isolating CSS for each screen, you ensure that changes in one area don’t cascade into others. This isolation makes scaling your application far easier as it grows.

Building a Modular CSS Structure

The first step is to establish a CSS architecture that supports independent styling. A popular pattern is to have one CSS file per page or module:

styles/
  ├── main.css
  ├── dashboard.css
  ├── gift-progress.css
  ├── reader-screen.css
  ├── settings.css
  

This simple structure allows you to load only what’s necessary for each page. For single-page applications (SPAs), this modularity can also be managed through component-based frameworks like React or Vue.

Maintaining a Consistent Design Language

Although each screen has its own CSS, visual consistency is vital. You can maintain this by defining a global stylesheet that includes shared elements such as:

• Typography rules (font family, base sizes, line heights)
• Color palette variables
• Shared UI components (buttons, modals, inputs)

Example of global variables:

:root {
  --primary-color: #4a90e2;
  --secondary-color: #f5f5f5;
  --text-color: #333;
  --border-radius: 8px;
}

Applying Unique Styles per Screen

After setting up the global base, you can create specialized rules for each page. For example, a page for tracking reading progress might use progress bars and soft gradients:

#gift-progress-page {
  background-color: #f9fafc;
  padding: 20px;
}

.gift-progress-card {
  background: white;
  border-radius: var(--border-radius);
  box-shadow: 0 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
  margin-bottom: 16px;
  padding: 16px;
}

Meanwhile, a “Reader” page can prioritize text readability:

#reader-page {
  background-color: #fff;
  padding: 30px;
  line-height: 1.8;
  font-size: 1.1rem;
}

Real-World Example: A Gift Reading Application

Imagine a collaborative reading application where 30 people each read a part of a book as a collective gift. Each screen serves a unique purpose:

• Gift Creation Page: Minimal layout, clear call-to-action buttons, and input forms styled with warm colors.
• Progress Tracker: Visual progress bars with dynamic width and completion indicators.
• Reader Interface: Typography-focused design for comfortable reading sessions.

Each page’s CSS focuses on enhancing its individual role while maintaining harmony with the app’s overall theme.

Practical Tips for CSS Organization

• Prefix your selectors with the page name (e.g., #gift-progress-page .progress-bar).
• Use consistent spacing and component naming across files.
• Minimize global overrides—keep CSS local whenever possible.
• Adopt a naming convention such as BEM (Block, Element, Modifier) for clarity.

SEO and Accessibility Considerations

While CSS doesn’t directly influence SEO, good styling improves user experience—keeping visitors on your site longer, which indirectly helps rankings. Additionally, ensure all color contrasts meet WCAG accessibility standards for visually impaired users.

Conclusion

Applying CSS individually per screen ensures a scalable and maintainable web application. By combining global consistency with page-specific flexibility, developers can create beautiful, organized interfaces that grow effortlessly over time. Whether you’re building a gift-sharing platform, an online learning portal, or a business dashboard—this modular CSS strategy provides the foundation for a truly scalable frontend architecture.