In this article, we’ll cover:
What Is the White Space Design Principle?
White space is one of the 13 design principles and refers to empty space around all of the elements of a design—graphics, text, shapes, and even the space between letters.
White space is also called negative space and the two terms are often used interchangeably.
As a designer, it can be tempting to fill up all of the blank spaces on a page, but you should resist that temptation. Leaving white space is one of the most important aspects of good design.
Designing with white space creates a natural visual hierarchy. This visual hierarchy makes it much easier for a viewer to digest and retain the information presented in the design.
Being strategic about white space makes the design more impactful and memorable.
White space in art and graphic design creates a visual hierarchy that will draw a viewer’s eye to the most important elements within a design.
Simply put, white space in design is the space where you place nothing.
Why Is White Space Important in Graphic Design and Art?
White space creates visual rest areas for the viewer while they look at a design or piece of art. The spaces within a design that contains nothing help enhance the focal point.
Using empty space in graphic design makes the subject more interesting and offers a sense of balance to the viewer.
Having a good command of white space in an art piece or a graphic design makes it easier to direct the viewer’s attention to the most important elements of the work.
White Space Design Examples
Infographics
In text-heavy designs like infographics, the use of white space makes it easier for the viewer to read and retain information.
White space in an infographic also helps keep the viewer from becoming overwhelmed and losing interest in whatever the design is trying to communicate.
Websites and Apps
Graphic design that strategically uses open space also encourages interaction.
When a website or app has plenty of white space around its various elements, it tends to be more user-friendly and you want to interact with it longer.
Websites and apps with cluttered graphic design or too many pop-up ads are harder to navigate and viewers tend to avoid them.
Ultimately, designs and art that utilize white space well will be more visually pleasing and keep viewers looking at them and remembering them for much longer.
White space makes the focal points of a piece much more impactful.
How to Apply White Space in Design
White space is one of the 13 basic design principles, one of the first concepts taught to new designers, and it’s easy to implement.
Here are some tips for using padding in your graphic design and art pieces.
Emphasis
Incorporating blank space in design is a great way to emphasize the most important elements of a design.
A poster for a movie or play often features a nice amount of white space around the name of the production. Doing so makes it easy for viewers to understand what is being promoted.
The names of the lead talent will also include a lot of margins around them. Utilizing blank space in this way makes it easy for viewers to remember what the film or play is called and who is starring in it.
Adding white space around the most important pieces of information helps a viewer’s eye seamlessly move through the design.
Balance
White space in graphic design helps create a balanced, visually pleasing final product. A balanced design keeps things uncluttered and creates natural visual repetition, which makes the piece more memorable for the viewer.
Balance is related to emphasis and a nicely balanced design also helps the viewer’s eye move through the design or art piece.
Grouping
Using white space in graphic design is a great way to group elements on the page.
Including less white space around elements of a design that should be packaged together helps the brain identify them as one unit and remember them together.
White space will help you organize the information in your design logically.
Text Formatting
White space between words and letters in your design is one of the most crucial places to utilize this design principle.
When letters and words are too close together, they become difficult to read and it’s more likely the viewer will get frustrated and stop engaging with the design.
Of course, the same thing can occur when there is way too much space between the letters and words. When designing, pay close attention to the kerning and tracking of your text.
White Space Design FAQs
What is the difference between white space and negative space in design?
White space and negative space are used interchangeably when referring to the blank spaces within a design.
White space and negative space are simply two ways to refer to the same concept of using blank spaces to make an impact.
Design elements of padding and margins in art and graphic design creates work that is memorable, impactful, and keeps the viewer engaged.
Does white space always have to be white?
White space can be any color or texture within a design or piece of art. Think of it as the neutral space around the other elements in the design.
For example, in a piece of art made on a chalkboard, the design’s white space would be black. In a picture of a colorful bird in flight, the design’s white space would be the blue sky behind the bird.
What is the white space in book design?
As in other designs, the white space in book design makes text easier for viewers to read information, digest it, and remember it.
In book design, it’s important to maintain even margins of white space on each page, between paragraphs, words, and individual letters.
License this cover image via Ichpochmak x2.
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