Most clients that we have been working with have one thing in common. They are not big fans of whitespace, which they often refer to as “empty space”. They always want to fill it up. However, whitespace in web and app design is as crucial as other elements (fonts, pictures, text, videos, etc.).
What is whitespace and why you need it?
First of all, whitespace does not have to be necessarily white. It is a space between design elements, within design elements, and between all readable characters, that can be any color, pattern, or it can also be a background image. So-called “macro whitespace” is a space between primary elements, “micro whitespace” is a space between not so dominant elements of the website (e.g. between words in the text).
As mentioned above, whitespace causes a lot of disputes between designers and their clients. Designers consider it as one of the most crucial elements of the website or an app, their clients, on the other hand, think that it is an empty space that can be filled with information. In this article, we are naturally on the side of the designers.
It does not matter whether you are selling something or writing a blog, the first thing you want your website or an app to do, is to grab the user’s attention and direct it to the most important parts of your website (title, CTA, etc…). You can only do that with clean design i.e. your web or app have to have enough whitespace.
How is whitespace improving design?
The main role whitespace occupies is to enhance the visual communication of a given design. Below, are the most important methods of using whitespace in order to improve user experience.
Creates a great first impression
Design is all about irrationality. People either like it or they don’t. Therefore, the first impression is always crucial. Layouts, colors, fonts, and pictures are all the elements that create the first impression for your user, but whitespace is giving them more prominence. Your web/app doesn’t have to be minimalistic if whitespace is used correctly.
Highlights the CTA (call to action)
It is obvious that the CTA button has to stand out because it’s essentially the gate which (mostly) new users have to pass in order to start using/buying your product. You can make buttons bigger and in shiny colors, but nothing will provide a CTA with more visibility than whitespace.
You will find more reasons why your website needs more whitespace on our blog.
