White space is the area around and between design elements. It's also the space within the design elements, and even within the letters themselves! It's also known as negative space, which may be a better name for it as it doesn't actually have to be white, it could be a background image or another colour. But whichever you call it, try not to make your designs too crowded, make use of the space around the text or images. Allow your message to stand out clearly by giving it space to breathe. Less is more - this is so true when it comes to design!
If your design is very busy and full of different pieces of information or images, it can be hard to pick out the main message, especially straight away. By sticking to the 'less is more' theory, your message will be clear and your audience will understand what you're saying. Your call to action will be clear and easy to see, white space allows a reader the time to breathe and digest the information.
White space is also elegant and can contribute to the tone of the design. It can be used to give a slick and upmarket feel, you only have to look at top brands such as Apple to see that they value white space. Keeping things simple and perhaps just adding a pop of colour or a funky font can ensure that a minimalist design doesn't look plain or boring.
White space can help your audience focus, it helps lead their eye from one design element to the next and keeps their attention, as opposed to a page full of text which may be off-putting to many readers. You can draw attention to a certain part of the design by playing with the amount of white space around it.
You may have to change your mindset and see the value of this empty, open space, as many people look at it as wasted space, space where they could fit more information or maybe squeeze in another image, but this is when the design can start to look cluttered and you'll lose your elegant or high-end feel. Of course there are occasions when the amount of necessary information won't allow for much space to be left, the message you're putting across in your design is always the most important element, but if you've got the space to play with, give it a go and I think you'll be pleased you did!
If you need any help or advice I'm here, as always, just an email away! (I'd say phonecall also, but at the moment I'm surrounded by my small people and immersed in a homeschooling environment, like many other people, so emails are a safer option!!)
