Whether you’re putting together a website or an e-invitation for your wedding, design is crucial. Getting this right means that your message will be as clear as possible and the CTA unmissable. While the white space may seem something of a “throw-away” element in the design, it’s just as important as the on-page content. Below, we take a look at exactly why this is the case and how you can make white space work for you.
The Benefits of White Space
It may seem amazing, but the proper use of white space can actually boost your conversion rate – and research consistently proves this. This is largely because too much on-page clutter can cause an “attention leak” in your audience, meaning that the power of that all-important CTA is diluted. Worst-case scenario: your CTA is missed entirely by the reader.
As well as improving the visibility of your CTA, using white space effectively also improves readability, which makes it much more likely that your virtual visitor will stay on the page and improves accessibility, too. Having an accessible website allows as many people to enjoy and understand your content as possible – and adds muscle to your site’s SEO rankings, meaning that it’ll draw more organic traffic.
How to Use White Space Effectively
Whether you’re sending out an e-invitation or are creating a website for your startup, paying attention to white space is vital. Happily, this element of the design is easy to optimize. For ultimate convenience, use a Premiere Pro template to automatically ensure that content and white space are perfectly balanced.
Alternatively, there are plenty of steps you can take yourself to create the most effective document, page, or website possible.
Margins and Spacing
Start with the basics: deploy relatively wide margins and check that the spacing between lines of text is adequate to prevent screen clutter. A recent study concluded that ensuring there’s enough white space in the form of margins and paragraph spacing boosts comprehension by almost 20% and is generally much preferred by readers. Ideal line spacing is in the region of 130-150% of the size of the font used.
Highlighting the Main Headline
The main headline of your document or page should be the star of the show, so it’s a good idea to avoid putting other text or images around it that could distract the reader. Research shows that, for example, the image of a person in close proximity to your main headline will cause a significant attention leak, drawing away the attention of the audience.
Use Logical Grouping
Now, it’s time to turn your attention to the rest of the content. Information should be gathered together into logical categories, with white space used to adequately separate each section. For an e-commerce site, this could be arranging the images of products above CTA buttons and alongside product reviews.
Think Minimal Design
Avoid cognitive overload and ensure that readers get the message clearly by deploying a minimalist, uncluttered design where possible. Think clarity and cohesion in your design, and if your page or document is particularly content-heavy, balance it out with the incorporation of additional white space. The use of repetition, in terms of the text and visuals, can also help keep the page hierarchy in the proper proportions.
Color and White Space
It may be termed white space, but it actually means simply ensuring enough space exists between on-page elements. White space can be any color, texture, or pattern – and even background images. The main point is that its purpose is to ensure the most important elements of your content are front and center.
Is White Space the Same as Negative Space?
While the two terms are often used interchangeably, there are some key differences. In an art project, whether of the physical or virtual variety, negative space is the space the designer creates around the subject, while white space is where design and content elements are placed. However, both white space and negative space are concerned with the use of space in any composition.
Use White Space to Make Your Content Pop
The guide above can help you to ensure that your content or message stands out and is as clear as possible. By paying attention to white space, you can avoid the reader’s attention drifting and make sure your CTA is as powerful as possible. It may seem odd, but the space you don’t use on your page when used properly, can work as hard as the space you do.