Negative space is white space with no content, even though it does not have to be always white. In other words, it is space between elements, which are usually texts and images (positive space). Although negative space seems to be accidental, it actually helps the positive space to be formed. This space is divided into two levels – the macro space, representing space between main elements, and the micro space, being the space between the small elements.

But why is it important? The answer is that it helps you gain attention to your design. It gives your design clarity and sense of good organization, if done properly. Even more, if the design is simple, a wisely used negative space can send a subtle message or create an image, which both appeal to the viewer. Here is what you will achieve with an informed use of negative space:

Increase your text readability

Even though your text may be excellent, if the negative space is not used properly, it will end up being frustrating for the reader to try to find out where the text they are looking for really is. The design will just seem overcrowded and the reader could just move on to another site. Allow the reader to get a clean text with providing white space between the elements.

Another necessity is to use the positive impact of negative space in typography. When you use it between the lines of a text, it is then called leading. That is what also makes the text more readable. Otherwise, it would be difficult to the reader’s eyes to guess the right line each time they finish reading the previous one.

Influence the composition

When it comes to combining the text with, for example, pictures, it is very important to find the right balance between the size and the position of both the text and the picture. Even if the text consists of just one sentence, and there is only one picture in the whole design, the overall impression of the design will be bad if both components are of the same size or organized in the wrong way. The result is that the components compete with each other, even though the center of attention should have been only one of them.

The right move is to make plenty of room for each of the components in your composition, so the negative space stresses the component which should be in focus. In other words, negative space helps the reader to notice the important object immediately instead of moving their eyes all over the page in order to find it. In that way, there is no danger that the reader will move to another site.

Use it in web design

Using negative space in web design is actually a clever combination of the space with texts, images and buttons. Negative space is not something that should be filled at any cost. Meaning – just because you have plenty of negative space on your website, it doesn’t mean you have to overcrowd it with images or text. Carefully organized negative space will lead to a consistent and clear layout of the site. Each inconsistency of the objects’ spacing could result in an unnecessary distraction to the site visitor.

One of the world’s giants, Apple, makes a good use of both macro and micro space to give stress to each of the elements of the webpage. This is a smart way of making the reader to really concentrate on the text because there is a lack of it in the negative space area.

Design an original logo

Negative space can do wonders when it comes to designing a unique logo. The secret is to use both negative and positive space in order to create an image. The positive space is usually a text or an image, while the negative space creates a different image in relation to the positive space. The combination of the two represents a logo. The idea behind this type of a logo is to cause a mental image that can be related to the name of the company and that will be remembered. The more creative you are with combining those two types of spaces, the more recognizable your logo can be.

Create the impression of sophistication

By using more negative space than putting text or numerous images, you can achieve a sense of sophistication on your webpage. By creating a lot of negative space, you are giving away the sense that the product or the service itself is more important than any additional text that could tell you how good the product/service is. To put it in other words, “less is more” is the strategy here. You are actually adding a sense of luxury by allowing the product/service to be its own advertisement. Don’t make the same mistake as many brands that put too much information on the site by using as much negative space as possible.

Improve existing negative space

Even if you have your design already completed, it is no reason to give up on improvements.  There are some usual mistakes in the existing designs that can be easily corrected.

• Margins – an often mistake with them is the inconsistent spacing, which can be easily changed. By entering consistent margins, all the texts will seem better organized and easily readable and it will leave the impression of a whole.
• Micro-level spacing – this negative space between the smallest elements also improves the readability of the text. Letters too close to each other don’t make reading easy, but nor do the letters that can appear as individual words. The right solution is somewhere between.

Conclusion

Negative space is a creative way of being remembered in the minds of the viewers. By making the right elements being a central point, enabling legibility and making an impressive graphic design, negative space will help you being noticed.