When you are are creating a piece, the goal is to give the viewers a reaction from it but, when it is crowded, it can become overwhelming trying to look at every little detail and take away from the purpose of it. Space is what brings attention to the focal point of the piece and attracts the viewers to look at it further. When you are reading a magazine and come across a page that is filled, it is simply too much to take in and you end up flipping by it. The space within a design makes it more inviting to readers. They don’t want to work to see the beauty of a piece it should just be the first thing that they see. This fact seems so small but, it is a crucial factor in graphic design.
Active space is created when the designer makes it blank on purpose. It is not just a coincidence that the space isn’t filled, they made it empty in order to emphasize what they created and draw the readers eyes to the focal points of the piece. In the piece to the right, it is used to carve out the bird. On the other hand, empty space is unintentional. It is created by the design itself not the artist. An example of this is the space between the words you are reading. I did not put it there but, it allows my writing to be legible. As I look around the room I am in, the walls are blank and I am surrounded by nothing but empty space. That tells me that I need to invest in some wall decor.
