White space: the importance of context in UX
Within a graphical interface, users are familiar with a series of components that, due to their effectiveness, context, and use, they can recognize and understand the purpose behind them: buttons, form fields, top or side menus, and floating messages, for example.
This familiarity arises from the commonality of interfaces that repeat similar patterns, making them easier to navigate, a principle highlighted by Jakob Nielsen’s law as a positive symptom for user navigation.
Depending on the general purpose of the interface, it can become more complex, including, for example, the presence of dashboards and metric display panels, data tables, and more. However, there will always (or should always) be a common element in all of them that gives meaning to the collection of components and content blocks seen on a screen.
This element is none other than white space.
White space, or negative space, a term inherited from photography, refers to all the empty space that surrounds the main content blocks and contextualizes them, which is its primary function.
In photography, there are two main types of spaces:
- Positive space: Designated for content spaces that attract the eye.
- Negative space: Designated for empty spaces that distract the eye and create backgrounds in which the positive spaces are found.
Functions of white space
White space is not named for being primarily white: interfaces with colors also have white space; it is simply a term that refers to the absence of content and visual load, with the main function of providing context to everything seen on the screen.
To be more precise, the main functions of this resource are:
- Enhancing usability: Empty space is not just space without elements. The partial absence of content helps users scan the content they have, visually marking the pace of content visualization. Margins or vertical spacing are excellent examples.
- Reducing cognitive load: We are all familiar with those old web pages from the 2000s, with endless blocks of components, information, or menus everywhere. Over the years, these interfaces have changed and reduced the content displayed on the screen as research on visual composition has advanced. Prioritizing content and distributing it in more organized menus facilitates navigation and reduces the possibility of user confusion, as well as reducing the chance of visual fatigue by displaying less information on the screen.
- Allowing content legibility: Written resources are the main information blocks found in an interface, so the focus on optimal legibility should be a UX designer’s goal. Beyond certain laws to consider, delineating spaces and hierarchizing text blocks also enhance their legibility, allowing them to breathe between paragraphs and helping users understand the content.
- Conveying emotion: Interfaces are not only about informing or providing users with possible actions. Most web pages belong to a brand, and like their products, they convey a series of emotions intended to resonate with users. Using white space to set the tone or psychologically capture users through color provokes reactions that can be positive, favoring business objectives and yielding positive results such as engagement, while also maintaining brand identity.
Best practices for using white space
To conclude, from Torresburriel Estudio we want to remind you of some best practices and situations to avoid to better contextualize white space:
- Less does not mean more: Reducing the number of elements on a page to “respect white space” is not the correct practice. There must be a balance between space and functionality. Sometimes, planning the hierarchy and positioning of elements makes better use of white space, avoiding the loss of functionality that often confuses the user.
- Consistency is key: White spaces should also follow a hierarchy of use to be effective. Maintaining consistent spacing implies a better sense of implementation, giving meaning to the white space.
- White space is not empty space: White space should not be considered the “leftovers” of the screen. Its purpose is determined by design decisions to provide areas of respect between elements on the page, so playing with this element is not superficial. Exploring possible grids and not leaving its arrangement to chance will help the designer understand how it interacts and how to master its use.
In conclusion, white space is another component of interfaces that improves usability and content legibility, and reduces cognitive load. As UX designers, we cannot overlook it.
This is a translation of the following article from our corporate website:
