White space (or negative space), is an area left in between different elements of your design. Designing your white space as you would your content gives more meaning to your work. There are two types of white space: Active and Passive.
Active white space is an area in your design that is place with purpose, giving your work more structure and emphasis. Active white space also provides designs with a powerful message.
Passive white space is an area that occurs naturally in your design. It is the spacing between words, lines, or nearby elements.
Why white space is important:
- It keeps designs from being cluttered and disorienting.
- It separates or groups elements
- It creates balance
- It helps attract and direct the eye when designing focal points
- It creates professional, sophisticated, polished designs
- It improves readability
White space is not really empty ‘space’ and it is not necessarily white. Any colour of space that has been designed to hold the viewers attention for just a little bit longer by giving the eye time to look around. Elements you leave out are just as influential to a design as the elements that have been placed with purpose.
Do you design white space into your work? Do you think white space is appealing or do you prefer a design with more content and less white space?
I like to design work with white space in mind. It keeps the layout easy to read and doesn’t confuse the message.
I think a cluttered design can work if you are going for a collage look but there needs to be some sort of contrast between the not as important background clutter and the message your trying to say.