“Fill a cup to its brim, it is easy to spill. Do not over do the task, close it.” –Lao Tzu, Tao te Ching

White space is as essential to good design as are illustrations and color. The proper, judicious use of white space as a design element gives form, balance, composition, and a feel of sophistication to a work that is lacking in crowded layouts.

White space is where all art begins – whether it is the blank white paper of the illustrator, the untouched canvas of the painter, or the white space on a Web designer's computer screen. White space gives the artist the birthplace for his work, and it shows the observer a new dawn of design.
The first step in composition it to block in an entire workspace. The artist then can define the spaces needed to create his designs, and he can determine the white space that will be used as punctuation. This white space is essential to provide relief to the eyes of the observer, which turn away from overflowing and overdone designs.

The amount of white space used in a design's workspace might be the essential thing that will attract viewers and users. Always keep in mind that observers of your design first filter through their eyes' sight and not through their mind's analytical powers to determine if a design element looks good or not.

Artists very often try too hard to deliver a visual message by making their work foolproof through including every possible element of their message. This can lead to work that is overly crowded and that the observer can't really "see". Often it is just the one right image, or the right choice of a typeface, that a viewer will see and remember; whereas too many images are hard on the eyes and will easily be forgotten.

Remember, “too much of a good thing” really is too much – and is not a good thing!

It is also important to realize that white is part of your color palette, so why not use it the same way you would use any color? White provokes freshness, and it gives a clean touch to your design. It also helps images and text “pop” from your work, causing the most subtle details of the project to stand out. Just as the right font makes a statement, using white as a color can be all you need to breathe life into your design.

We can be thankful when we see white space. It reminds us that there are still masterpieces waiting to be conceived.

About Author Patrick King: Patrick King is the founder of ImagineDesign, a branding and creative firm based in Gainesville, Virginia.