What is hybrid or spongy design?

Hybrid (or \"spongy\") design is an email coding technique that creates responsive behavior without media queries. It works by using fluid-width tables with max-width constraints, allowing columns to stack naturally when viewport width decreases below column minimums.

Why it matters: many email clients (notably Gmail app, some Outlook versions) strip or ignore media queries. Pure responsive design breaks there. Hybrid design provides acceptable mobile rendering even when media queries fail-columns stack, text remains readable, the email stays functional.

Hybrid is the pragmatic middle ground. Full responsive with media queries provides the most control but requires client support. Hybrid provides reliable fallback behavior everywhere. Most professional email developers use hybrid as a foundation, enhancing with media queries where supported. It's more complex to build but delivers the most consistent cross-client experience.