Why there (usually) isn’t too much white space

White space, also called negative space, is the empty space that surrounds different elements on websites—from text to images, videos, content blocks, and more.

The smart use of this empty space (it doesn’t have to be white—it can be any colour!) is widely recognised as a key principle of good website design.

Despite this, many website designers will be familiar with receiving client feedback along the lines of, “The design is great—but there’s too much empty space.”

It’s a tale as old as time.

And you know what—on occasion, the client can be right. Designers should maintain an open mind when it comes to departing from practised conventions, but it must always be done with thought, intention, and a clear strategy behind it.

Most of the time however, the client would do well to heed their designer’s advice when it comes to the appropriate use of white space on their site.

There can be a real tendency for business owners to view empty space on their websites as wasted real estate that could instead be used to communicate even more content to their audience.

But reducing white space for more content—or in some cases making existing content larger, BIGGER, BOLDER—will often have the adverse effects of making sites too stuffed, too busy, and frankly way too hard to navigate.

White space is not your enemy.

No, white space is the ally of positive user experiences and the secret ingredient of almost all great modern website designs.

If you want to drive engagement and conversions, empty space is a great way to influence what users are looking at on your site. It creates a visual hierarchy of information, drawing the eye to key calls to action and making it easier for users to digest content quickly—improving readability and flow while minimising the risk of users leaving your site due to unnecessary bloat and clutter.

Take this example: whatiftherewerenospacesbetweenthewordsonyourwebsite?

Two things may have just happened—you either realised that I removed the spaces between the words in the above sentence and had to concentrate harder to unpack what was written, or you put it in the ‘too hard basket’ and skipped to this paragraph.

White space exists even between words and letters at a micro level, and just as too little space between these can make readers have to work harder to comprehend what’s been written—too little space between the larger elements of your website can make it so much harder for users to engage with your site.

Sometimes we need spaces between words, and sometimes we even need paragraph breaks—or page breaks! They help break up content into manageable chunks that we as humans are better wired to understand and respond to. The same is true when it comes to the white space on your website.

After all, we all appreciate a good bit of space from time to time. Your audience will too.

Talk to our experienced website designers today and learn more about how the intelligent use of white space on your site can make all the difference between success and failure. Contact us on 08 8223 3099 or email info@argon.com.au.