It's not only about layout. We should also take care of our copywritings.
Here shows an example on Basecamp homepage. Please focus on the text in the top navigation.
Take a closer look on the top navigation. When the screen has more space, the copywriting of sign-up button is “See prices & start a free trial”, detail enough so I know what information to expect after the link, right? When the screen has less space, this link changes to a simply “Sign up” text. Short and precise enough.
Let’s take a look at another example. Here is the Signal vs. Noise from the same company. Take a look at the top sentense.
When wide enough, it shows:
You’re reading Signal v. Noise, a publication about the web by Basecamp since 1999. Happy Thursday.
When it’s not wide enough, it shows:
Signal v. Noise, a publication about the web by Basecamp since 1999.
In extreme case that the screen is too narrow, it displays:
Signal v. Noise by Basecamp