Designing Your Site: White Space & Simplicity

Principle 7:
White Space & Simplicity

A simple design is an effective design. Complexity is just not something that a visitor wants to see on your web page, and one of the most important aspects of a simple design is white space. White space is something that web designers must not be afraid of. White space not only helps to take the cognitive load off the website but also makes it easier for users to perceive the information provided on the website. White space helps to divide the web page into several distinct parts or areas which makes it simpler to process information. It is always better to have a whitespace solution to the problem of complex hierarchical structures. The following are some of the other things that can be considered as a part of a simple design:

• Grid-based layout – To avoid a messy structure or appearance of the website, you must opt for a grid-based layout in which content is divided into columns, boxes, and different sections.
• F-pattern design – It is a fact that the human eye scans screens in an ‘F’ pattern. Thus, it is a good idea to design a web page or website in a way that complements the natural reading behaviors of the visitors.
• Conventional designs – Conventional designs are not always boring and rather work well as far as visitor response or like ability is concerned. They add a hint of trust, reliability as well as brand credibility.

What about your site:
Does your site have a simple design that makes it easy to use?

1 = No to the above statement
10 = absolutely to the above statement.

How might you improve your site's design? Add this to your ePortfolio "to do" list.

Examples

NO
http://art.yale.edu/
http://www.gatesnfences.com/
http://www.007museum.com/

​​YES
http://www.emilianobarri.com/  Not "white space", but space.
http://ezorzi.com/
https://www.squarespace.com/
http://www.mixd.co.uk/ Like Squarespace, this site is a Web development service.  Not "white space"... just space.
http://quotesmagazine.com/ simple design based on users who know what the site is about.

​Adapted from an article by Martin Luenendonk for Entrepreneurial Insights (June 3, 2015) with permission from the author. (http://www.entrepreneurial-insights.com/web-design-principles-successful-websites/).