White space – Why?

Just imagine yourself in a shopping centre. There are shops all around you; their windows filled with attention-grabbing items for sale. Salespeople are standing outside the shops, offering free samples and voucher leaflets as you pass by. Shoppers hurry past you on both sides or inadvertently block your way as you try to pass them. Loud music is blaring out of some shops and blinking lights crowd the windows of others. Chaos. It’s enough to make you wonder why you didn’t just stay home.

Now… imagine yourself sitting alone on a beach. Miles of soft sand to your left and right, and a beautiful, glinting sea ahead of you. The sun is warm and a light breeze passes over you gently. On the sea, there is a single surfer, paddling into a wave that is rising. You can’t help but watch them head into the wave. You wonder whether they will meet it at the right time. It’s as if the world has momentarily stopped. As the wave builds, the surfer expertly catches it, and turns to stand upright on the board. The wave carries them back to the beach as you watch, spellbound.

Two perfect examples of why we need white space in graphic design.

‘White space’ is defined as the areas of a page without print or pictures. It doesn’t have to be white, but it does have to be open space. It is the ‘empty’ part of the page that flows around the main elements that we want the viewer to focus on. Increasing white space in a design makes it easier to focus attention on the main elements, bringing a sense of calm and centeredness. It is not only more pleasant to look at than an overcrowded design, but it actually performs better; where the viewer’s attention is exactly directed to the intended message.

When working with a designer, it is tempting for some clients to want to fill every page with as much information as possible, so as not to ‘waste’ space, but this is not best practice and can lead to a messy result that no one wants to look at. Your designer has long experience of creating layouts that offer a clean, attractive and most importantly, effective design that will prompt the viewer to read on.

We will help you to create stunning, highly impactful publications and products that will engage the viewer and call them to action. If you’d like to chat to a designer about an upcoming project, give us a call on 01628 773920 or an email to hello@wearembcreative.com. We’d love the opportunity to work with you.