White space in your design?

[SenseiSteve]

I wrote this some years ago, but I think it's still relevant.

"Resist loading up your pages with everything imaginable. Focus is important. Use white space to guide visitors as they navigate your site. Clutter simply invites confusion."

My pet peeve is long unbroken lines of text, so much so that I'll just skip reading it altogether.

Your thoughts on the right amount of white space, or does it even matter?

 

[easyhostmedia]

Personally, I think a website should be

1) Eyecatching
2) Glutterfree
3) Easy readable
4) Free of Lorem ipsum text
5) Fully working links

 

[PeterShene]

"Resist loading up your pages with everything imaginable. Focus is important. Use white space to guide visitors as they navigate your site. Clutter simply invites confusion."

Agreed although it's not always easy to implement especially when you have to write for a search engine and for a client which unfortunately at this point are two different things although google claims it not to be so. ( I guess this is where good designers and great UX designers work the hardest. I read upon UX a long while ago and they always made reference to "paradox of choice".

Which is one of the reasons (if not the main) I think the whole idea of less it more overall come about.

So to answer your question I think it matters white space is a great tool for guiding and amplifying content. To have more impact, importance and value. I think it's also a good way to stop skim-reading on stuff you need your clients to hear.

It's almost like even if I find a page interesting and I want to read it. When I see a ton of text my mind is already gearing up to skim read, and so I may miss some points, however, if there is less I feel less pressured so I can read and comprehend to the fullest.

 

[John @ S4]

I'm a big fan of white space and 'clean' design, it's just so much easier to look at and find what you need (when executed well), but a lot of people seem to look at a simple clean page without more information than it needs and think that it is basic, not giving enough info, or unfinished.

 

[PeterShene]

hm

I'm a big fan of white space and 'clean' design, it's just so much easier to look at and find what you need (when executed well), but a lot of people seem to look at a simple clean page without more information than it needs and think that it is basic, not giving enough info, or unfinished.

hhhm I hear you. WhenI started designing this was my biggest fear. I think that this is focusing on point of putting a little as possible on a page, which I don't think is true minimalism, and if it is it's not the best way to design websites. I think rather putting the crucial information required to convert that user. There definitely is a balance to it, however.

I also believe its niche dependant, for example, I have a client who sells art so yeah minimalism does well there, I have another client who sells mechanical parts and so I try to think like a mechanic who would be using his website.

I would want to see spec sheets or be able to download them. Images of the part. Descriptions and cost, guarantees etc. So what I'm trying to get at the "degree of minimalism" may also depend on the niche you are in. At least that's what I've always believed.