Designers love using it in their designs.
Website owners want to fill it with more content.
What is it? Whitespace!
White space is often ignored in design as many view it as wasting valuable screen space. Truth is, it’s actually one of the most valuable parts of your design. Continue reading to find out why.
What is White Space?
White space (aka negative space) is the empty space around content and elements on a web page. It’s the space between columns, lines of text or images that provides visual breathing room for the eye.
In design, white space is so much more than empty space, it’s a powerful tool used to organize content and improve the visual experience for the user.
Despite its name, the actual space doesn’t have to be white. It can be any color or background as long as it’s free of any elements like text or images.
White space is like air. It’s necessary for design to breathe.
One of the best examples of white space we’re all familiar with is Google. The simplicity of their home page is intuitive because it’s void of extra clutter. Users can focus on one goal — searching for something!
Empty Space Does Not Equal Wasted Space
Too often business owners regard whitespace as wasted space. It’s not! Used effectively, white space can be your website’s best friend. Truth is, it’s actually one of the most powerful creative elements in design.
By adding space around areas of your layout, you’ll provide users with a moment to rest and consider what they’re looking at. It slows down the decision making process — in a good way.
The correct use of white space in text can increase readability by up to 20%.
4 Benefits of White Space
- Easier to scan: White space helps create a balanced layout, making it easier for users to scan your website and find what they’re searching for. Crowded websites overwhelm users with too much information, resulting in information overload.
- Improved readability: Space between lines of text and letters helps define the content and makes it easier to read.
- Improved aesthetics: Adding more blank space and reducing unnecessary elements greatly improves your site’s visual appeal. Used correctly white space can actually enhance the user experience!
- Improved Focus: White space is a powerful way to draw the users’ focus to a particular element. To surround the element with white space makes it stand out.
2 Examples of Sites Using White Space
Takeaway
White space is an incredibly valuable design element and supports the “less is more” theory that has proven effective when designing for the web. Use white space on your website to your advantage and take your user experience to the next level. Make your website stand out by adding whitespace
How do you use white space in your design? Any other thoughts? Tell us in the comments below.
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