Whitespace isn’t wasted space

First of all, what is whitespace?

Whitespace is essentially negative space – the space between different elements on a page. The space doesn’t necessarily have to be white, it could be a space of any colour not occupied by text, images or other visual elements.

Why is whitespace important?

The use of whitespace on a website, spread or poster, improves legibility and can help draw the reader’s attention to a particular element, making the overall design more interesting and attention-grabbing. It is often also more aesthetically pleasing to have more space between elements and can make a design feel more professional and elegant.

One of the reasons whitespace is often overlooked in graphic design is because people often try to say too much. But users only have a limited attention span, and cramming a lot of information into a piece will only make the reader less interested in the information presented. Whitespace shouldn’t be viewed as wasted space but as a separate design element used to balance the different elements on the page.

Less is often more when it comes to graphic design.

Less clutter on a page will make it easier for your message to be conveyed. Instead of taking advantage of all the space you have, think about what is truly important to the reader and how a bit of breathing room will make your message stand out even more.