White space doesn’t just impact the look and feel of a webpage; it is also a crucial component in enhancing user experience. User friendly websites make use of negative space because the white space causes the viewer to place more emphasis on the important subject matter.
The same principles that apply to any creative artwork also apply in web development.
The correct implementation of negative space serves these core purposes:
It improves the visitor’s understanding of content
Imagine your website being a digital representation of a company presentation. You are trying to sell an idea or concept to a client, but instead of having aesthetic infographics, organised brochures and informative literature about your products and services neatly on display, you just throw all of that information at the client in a jumbled pile and tell them, “All the information you need is in there somewhere. Good luck finding it!” Well that is pretty much what you would be doing if you were to create a cluttered, unstructured website.
White space used around graphics, icons, body text, headlines and other visual elements all contribute towards making content far more digestible. White space also aids the user in creating a mental map of a webpage which assists them with site navigation.
(Image credit: http://www.urbotip.com/#!/city/6273/johannesburg)
White space is used in attracting the user’s attention to core elements
Psychology says that a distinct lack of content in one area of a webpage results in more concentrated focus on visual content that exists elsewhere in one’s eye line.
It all boils down to the human brain’s limitations when it comes to short term memory and attention span, or lack thereof. Web development that focuses its design on user friendly websites strives to ensure that the user doesn’t need to think too much, but rather simply reacts to the visual elements incorporated in the design.
First impressions count on user friendly websites
A tidy, clean, yet visually attractive site is going to leave a positive brand image with potential clients. White space, as with a white wedding gown, white linen or white snow on a winter’s day, has the ability to bring with it a sense of style and elegance.
(Main image credit: http://dbushell.com/showcase/atherton-cox/)