Power of White Space in Graphic

Design
What is White Space in Graphic Design ?
• White Space, negative space or blank space in graphic design refers to the space
between each graphic element of your composition and it can have any color, texture
or patterns.
• White space is used by designers to create a visual hierarchy among the graphic
elements to help the viewer scan the design and easily identify the focal points.
Types of White Space in Graphic Design
 Micro White Space

• Micro whitespace is the small space between graphic elements as letters, text
lines, paragraphs, buttons and icons.
• It is usually used in paragraphs to improve the content legibility and help the
viewer to read faster
 Macro White Space
• Macro white space in graphic design refers to the space between bigger graphic
elements of the design composition as text columns and graphics.
 Active and Passive White Space

• Active space is used to draw a user’s attention and to emphasize

certain elements like a headline, logo or graphic.

• Passive space is the space between small objects that goes unnoticed.
The designers use it to create texts or arrange paragraphs or icons.
Why White Space is Important in design ?
White space separates a groups elements
• White space provides clues as to what elements belong in which group. Thus, It
helps to separate individual elements and groups of elements.
Helps to build a hierarchy
• It allows you to organize the different graphic elements from the composition and
create a visual order depending on their importance.
• Hierarchy makes content easy to understand.
Helps to build a certain look
• Some brands use negative space as part of their brand image to convey luxury and high-
quality.
 Increased interaction rate
• As per studies, the average attention span of an internet user is 6 seconds, which is
even less than what a gold fish has(7–8 seconds).
• Effective use of white space helps the design to get the message through the user
quickly and increase the probability of interaction by highlighting the Call to
actions.
Examples of white space in graphic design
Buffer (Web design)
• The white space on the buffer website makes it easy to understand which content demands your
attention.
• The use of contrast, like a bold button with added texture, and colorful photos against a white
background help to create visual hierarchy
Mailchimp (landing page)
• Landing pages are all about maintaining the focus and attention of the customer as they take a
specific action, like filling a form or downloading an e-book.
• In Mailchimp’s landing pages, we see clear examples of how white space helps to guide visitors
to take action, placing the focus on buttons and imagery.
FedEx (logos)
• The space in the FedEx logo doesn’t just make the font easy to read; it also sends an important
message.
• The space between the “E” and the “X” in the wordmark creates an arrow pointing to the right,
indicating forward motion and speed.
THANK YOU