Focus On Active White Space

http://www.mysitelite.com/

When designing a website, companies often work hard to get as much information above the fold... on the first screen... as they can. Too often however, the result is an overly-busy website that confuses and annoys. Websites must be designed with white space in mind in order to simply and effectively communicate a clear message. Think of white space as the space between graphics, margins, or lines of type in the page layout.

To go a step further, it is important to not only utilize white space (or negative space to some) to organize and simplify, it must be used to "guide the eyes" of your visitors to the important pieces of information on your page, in a logical order. This will help your company get your message across immediately, leading to your call to action and improving your company's ability to reach the customers that matter most.


To clarify, there is a difference between white space that happens as a byproduct of design (Passive White Space) and that which is actively used as part of the design (Active White Space). There are a host of simple solutions to help integrate white space in your copy alone:

•Paragraph breaks
•Numbered lists
•Bulleted lists
•Use of images

Website Templates Can Be Tough

A best practice to follow when designing your website is to do so on paper first. Define specific content areas or panes to organize your content and expressly note the areas designated for white space. Resist the urge to drop in copy or imagery until you have a website template that is simply effective and stick to it.

If you have a website that you love (perhaps it's your company's), please feel free to pass it along. These examples are great tools to help your organization in your website design and should be considered for small as well as substantial adjustments to your current site.

Thanks!
~ Jon | CMO | mSL