White space is the absence of design elements. White space is the absence of content. Yet white space is a vital aspect of any good design.

Why is this? Through the proper use of white space it allows the important elements of a design to stand out and be front and center. As designers we often see a blank spot of the canvas as a place to do what we do best…design. However, by ignoring this first impulse of filling any empty areas of a design and taking a step back we then have the opportunity to really allow the design to come together.

Before we get more in depth on this topic, let’s first define exactly what whitespace is in relation to design. According to Wikipedia:

In page layout, illustration and sculpture, white space is often referred to as negative space. It is that portion of a page left unmarked: the space between graphics, margins, gutters, space between columns, space between lines of type or figures and objects drawn or depicted. The term arises from graphic design practice, where printing processes generally use white paper. White space should not be considered merely ‘blank’ space — it is an important element of design which enables the objects in it to exist at all, the balance between positive (or non-white) and the use of negative spaces is key to aesthetic composition.

How do you apply this to your designs?

Albert Einstein once said “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”  This quote holds true during the design process as well. Before placing that new flash movie or extra graphic ask yourself if it needs to be there. Too often I see websites and brochures that are so crammed with content and graphical elements that it makes it hard to find anything. What this ends up doing is watering down the real important elements of a design that you and your client may want to stand out.  Everything placed into a design must have logic and thought behind it. That’s not to say a website can’t  be chalk full of information, it all comes down to how you present that information.

If you have people continually asking where something is on your homepage or still unsure of what you are trying to promote or sell then there is a good chance that you have overcrowded the design. Whether you’re designing a website, or new product, or simply making a point in a discussion, never forget that most people do have limited patience and attention spans. Most people won’t take the time to scour your site to learn if you design websites. They will simply click off of it and find someone else. So now let’s delve into some key design principle you should take the time to learn and follow in order to pull of a great design:

Balance:
Balance in Web design is found in the structure of the layout. The position of elements on the page determines how balanced the page appears. How do you know if your page is balanced? For starters, you will no longer notice the elements as being individual items. Your whole page will become one piece and the viewers eyes will flow from one element to the next seamlessly.

Contrast:
Contrast occurs when two elements on a page are different. For example, it could be different colors between the text and the background color. It could be a difference between a large graphic and a small graphic or it could be a rough texture combined with a smooth texture. People like contrast, to quote anchorman “its science”. One of the main reasons to use contrast in your designs, whether for print or web, is to grab the audience’s attention. Not only is a page more attractive when contrast is used, but the purpose and organization of the design are much clearer.

Emphasis:
Emphasis in design is the art of intentionally singling out aspects of a design in order to draw attention to them. Obviously you are attempting to spot light one particular aspect of a design so it should be used on something important such as the overall message of the site or featured product versus using it on your social networking widget. I have often seen sites which attempt to overdo the use of the principle and draw attention to everything on the page which in turn draws attention to nothing. It not only hurts my eyes, confuses visitors and worst of all renders the design unprofessional looking by making the page seem too full and disorganized. You should emphasize elements according to their relevance. You should also consider how to emphasize them; and this is where contrast and emphasis come together: by changing the color, font, size or shape of that element you will make it stand out from all the rest.

Overall the proper use of white space in any design is something that take a lot of training and practice. Some of the most skilled designs are ones where the use of white space isn’t over the top obvious but seamless. I have also included a little roundup of ten websites that I thought are well designed and use a lot of the principles I outlined above.  Enjoy!

My Favorite Examples:

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