Table Of Content
What Is Negative Space in Design?
What Is the Distinction Between White and Negative Space?
What Is the Importance of Negative Space?
Negative Space's Influence on Key Factors
What Is Negative Space in Design?
Negative space, often known as white space, is the portion of the plan that is left vacant. It may occur not just around the things you arrange in the layout, but also between and inside them. Negative space provides a breathing area for all of the elements on the page or screen. It not only defines the boundaries of things, but it also generates the essential relationships between them according to Gestalt principles, resulting in excellent visual performance. As a result, white space is a legitimate design feature that has a significant influence on pleasant user experience. "White space is like a canvas: it's the backdrop that keeps the parts together in a composition." White space is like a canvas: it's the backdrop that keeps the parts together in a design, allowing them to shine out," explains Interaction Design Foundation's Mads Soegaard.
In graphic design, negative space is frequently found in logos, drawings, posters, and creative typography, where it becomes an active component of the visual presentation, making essential things more expressive. For example, in the blog graphic below, the backdrop element (moon) contrasts negative space, making the astronaut appear more colourful and dynamic.
Negative space is an important feature in UI design for websites and mobile applications since it contributes to the interface's usability and navigability. The negative space around layout components is referred to as macro space, while the space between them and within (for letters and stroke elements) is referred to as micro space.
In graphic design, negative space is frequently found in logos, drawings, posters, and creative typography, where it becomes an active component of the visual presentation, making essential things more expressive. For example, in the blog graphic below, the backdrop element (moon) contrasts negative space, making the astronaut appear more colourful and dynamic.
Negative space is an important feature in UI design for websites and mobile applications since it contributes to the interface's usability and navigability. The negative space around layout components is referred to as macro space, while the space between them and within (for letters and stroke elements) is referred to as micro space.
What Is the Distinction Between White and Negative Space?
Short answer: there is no difference. These phrases are completely interchangeable.
Why is this phenomenon referred to by two distinct names? If you trace the origins, the solution is simple. The word "white space" originated in print design since pages were generally white at the time, hence white space was everything surrounding, between, and within the letters or symbols, as well as around drawings. In today's design world, this word has nothing to do with the colour white: it's all about empty space rather than colour. The word "negative space" stems from photography: on an image, positive space (things drawing attention) and negative space are defined (background).
It's crucial to note that negative space in web design doesn't have to be white - it may be any colour, texture, pattern, or background picture.
Why is this phenomenon referred to by two distinct names? If you trace the origins, the solution is simple. The word "white space" originated in print design since pages were generally white at the time, hence white space was everything surrounding, between, and within the letters or symbols, as well as around drawings. In today's design world, this word has nothing to do with the colour white: it's all about empty space rather than colour. The word "negative space" stems from photography: on an image, positive space (things drawing attention) and negative space are defined (background).
It's crucial to note that negative space in web design doesn't have to be white - it may be any colour, texture, pattern, or background picture.
What Is the Importance of Negative Space?
Consider entering a room that is jam-packed with several staff members. Shelves, boxes, suitcases, stacks of books and clothing, and a crowded desk. Will you be able to focus under such circumstances? Do you truly require all of those items right now? Will you be able to find what you require, and how long will it take? That's very much how consumers feel when they enter a website or screen that lacks a key air of negative space.
Clients and certain designers may desire to cram as many components and functions as possible into one page or screen, believing that doing so will save the game and benefit clients. However, this is a mistake: consumers do not require everything at once. Furthermore, too many items without adequate air dramatically increase the amount of distraction: users will have to make an effort to identify what they DO need if they are inundated with information and interactive features. According to Aarron Walter, "if everything cries for the viewer's attention, nothing gets heard."
Among the advantages of a strategic approach to negative space in design are the following:
Clients and certain designers may desire to cram as many components and functions as possible into one page or screen, believing that doing so will save the game and benefit clients. However, this is a mistake: consumers do not require everything at once. Furthermore, too many items without adequate air dramatically increase the amount of distraction: users will have to make an effort to identify what they DO need if they are inundated with information and interactive features. According to Aarron Walter, "if everything cries for the viewer's attention, nothing gets heard."
Among the advantages of a strategic approach to negative space in design are the following:
- It improves page scannability.
- It improves page scannability.
- it improves visual hierarchy.
- it makes the relationships between items evident and intuitively understood without the use of extra measures like tables, frames, or arrows.
- It gives adequate space on the page to avoid seeming overloaded; it directs the user's attention to key elements and eliminates distraction, and it adds flair and beauty to the website.
Take a look at the Big City Guide's landing page, for example. On a macro level, the Graphic designer uses a backdrop photo to play the function of negative space. Furthermore, the components of the photo and the letters of the primary copy element are linked: this turns negative space into an active design element and gives the page a unified harmonic aesthetic.
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Negative Space's Influence on Key Factors
Using negative space correctly may have a significant influence on the following user experience elements.
Readability and legibility: if there isn't enough space between the elements, they become difficult to read and need more work. Although many users will be unable to express the problem, it may be a significant cause of eye and brain tension. A sufficient quantity of negative space, particularly micro space, resolves this issue and makes the procedure more natural. As a result, negative space has a direct impact on the efficiency of typography on the page or screen. Pauses serve the same purpose in music as noises. It works the same way in reading: carefully positioned empty spaces make the text simpler to read.
Branding: If you look at any logo guideline, you'll see that designers establish the right amount of negative space around the logo so that it is viewed correctly. Breaking these criteria has a negative impact on visual performance.
The resource's nature: negative space has an effect on the so-called design tone. For example, news resources will have less empty space on the front page than blogs in order to set the tone and convey the idea that the platform is full of info that appears dynamically.
Attention ratio: allowing for appropriate negative space improves visual hierarchy and helps viewers to focus on the important aspects.
According to this, negative space has an effect on visual perception in the following ways:
Readability and legibility: if there isn't enough space between the elements, they become difficult to read and need more work. Although many users will be unable to express the problem, it may be a significant cause of eye and brain tension. A sufficient quantity of negative space, particularly micro space, resolves this issue and makes the procedure more natural. As a result, negative space has a direct impact on the efficiency of typography on the page or screen. Pauses serve the same purpose in music as noises. It works the same way in reading: carefully positioned empty spaces make the text simpler to read.
Branding: If you look at any logo guideline, you'll see that designers establish the right amount of negative space around the logo so that it is viewed correctly. Breaking these criteria has a negative impact on visual performance.
The resource's nature: negative space has an effect on the so-called design tone. For example, news resources will have less empty space on the front page than blogs in order to set the tone and convey the idea that the platform is full of info that appears dynamically.
Attention ratio: allowing for appropriate negative space improves visual hierarchy and helps viewers to focus on the important aspects.
According to this, negative space has an effect on visual perception in the following ways:
- graphic content
- navigation
- identity
- copy content
Let's look at few examples. The Big Landscape has a home page. Due to the balanced use of negative space and the lack of visual frames and tables, the designer creates a clear visual hierarchy and allows the user to read diverse blocks of material in split seconds. The design appears orderly but light and airy in this manner. The white backdrop and layout arrangement make it appear like a magazine page, informing the viewer about the goals and nature of this online magazine.
Another example is the mobile application Upper app, where the negative space is completely black, generating a strong contrast with the interface's essential parts. Only one straight line is utilised throughout the entire screen. Nonetheless, thanks to abundant air and minimal distractions, the entire layout appears ordered and very legible. It also promotes stylish minimalist elegance in order to maximise aesthetic delight.
Consider the Following Pitfalls
Another example is the mobile application Upper app, where the negative space is completely black, generating a strong contrast with the interface's essential parts. Only one straight line is utilised throughout the entire screen. Nonetheless, thanks to abundant air and minimal distractions, the entire layout appears ordered and very legible. It also promotes stylish minimalist elegance in order to maximise aesthetic delight.
Consider the Following Pitfalls
- Misleading wording. When speaking with clients who are unfamiliar with design jargon, clarify the idea of negative space before describing the design solution. A non-designer may struggle to grasp why "this screen needs additional white space" when staring at the completely black backdrop and negative space may be connected with anything negative - which it is not. Don't forget to cross all of your i's before employing the terms.
- Desire to eliminate negative space in order to fit more on the page or screen. It is not limited to UI design: you may hear an interior designer advise a customer who wants four bookshelves in one room instead of two, or an architect explain why there is a need for empty space surrounding the structure to make it seem and serve better. Furthermore, re-planning the pieces with greater use of negative space may give the appearance that the room or structure is larger than it is - and the same is true for data that must be displayed on a mobile device or web page. Decide what’s more important, what’s secondary and what can be eliminated so that to navigate the user intuitively. Negative space will help to make the harmonic look of the screen or page even if it’s full of information and functions.
- Inadequate prioritisation. Negative space is not a panacea if an interface is not supported by well-thought-out information architecture. Before you consider the design skin, you must consider how the user will discover a shortcut to his or her objective and solve his or her problem using an app or website. Plan this approach before creating the looks that will exhibit it in style; otherwise, even the best balance of visual components, including negative space, will not function successfully.
- The United States
- The United Kingdom.
- Canada.
- China.
- Sweden.
- Japan.
In India, how much does a freelance graphic designer make?
Freelance Graphic Designer salaries in India range from 1.0 Lakhs to 6.0 Lakhs per year, with an average yearly pay of 3.0 Lakhs. Salary estimates are based on 577 Freelance Graphic Designer salaries.
Can a graphic designer earn lakhs of rupees in India?
Graphic Designer salaries in India range from 1.1 Lakhs to 6.5 Lakhs per year, with an average yearly pay of 3.0 Lakhs.