The concept of space in a design

Reading about space in this class reminds me of discussing positive space and negative space in my drawing class. Space is a very crucial element in a design that attracts readers. According to the reading, “space attracts readers by making the page look accessible, unthreatening, and manageable.” I agree with that statement because an overfilled page always overwhelms me and it feels uninviting. On the other hand, an “elegantly designed” page with enough white space is easy to read and looks attractive. 

I still remember the day I moved in, when everything was scattered in my room and it looked unattractive and overwhelming. However, after two days, when I arranged the room and sorted things, decorated my walls, used some of the white space and kept some white spaces free, the room finally felt cozy and livable. 

“Empty” space is passive space. It is the by-product of a layout. It’s the leftover space after we put the positive elements in our design. As I work for the student newspaper, the common example of “empty” space is the white space in the newspaper that doesn’t contribute to the design but is rather the leftover after the layout is done. We try to avoid them as much as possible. 

However, an “active” space is a planned space. It is the space that enhances and influences design. It is consciously there. An example would be the ads we get in the newspaper which is carefully designed with considered emptiness.