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AListApart.com has a very interesting article by Mark Boulton, a graphic designer from the UK, about the use of whitespace in design, the effects of negative or unused space has on a print advertisement. In his article, Whitespace, Mark discusses some of the direct effects whitespace has, the perception it give.

Designers use whitespace to create a feeling of sophistication and elegance for upscale brands. Coupled with a sensitive use of typography and photography, generous whitespace is seen all over luxury markets. Cosmetics, for example, use extensive whitespace in their marketing material to tell the reader that they are sophisticated, high quality, and generally expensive. - Mark Boulton

Here is a photo of two design copies that illustrate what Mark is talking about: figure3_luxury_direct.jpg

It is a very interesting side-by-side of two methods of a direct mail advert. What I find so interesting is the signals that we identify with that determine what we will let into our lives simply because of whitespace.

Mark continues the article discussing whitespace in the context of text, in terms of readability and luxury, a very interesting read for you web and product designers.

Article Link: Whitespace
Author Link/Blog: Mark Boulton

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