Space in Graphic Design:
Space. What is it? Well there are different meanings to space other than the stars and planets. Another form of space can be found right in this post. As I am typing out a post, I am using space to create a flow of sentences. What are other ways of using space? In the book Elements of Graphic Design of chapter 1, the author talks about space and how it is directly used and how it is important to graphic design. White space in graphic design is a tool used to guide a readers eye while looking at a piece. As we have been taught over the years we read an object a certain way whether it is left to right or up and down. With that, a graphic designer uses that knowledge to create a piece that can really stand out to the viewer. Their piece can give off an illusion that you see one thing at first, but the more you look at it it turns into something else! With talking about space in graphic design, there are two concepts of space which are empty and active. Empty space is where the design does not line up with the piece, it just doesn’t make any sense on the design. An active piece is where the design fits nicely together and flows while making the design not so confusing.
There cannot be too much of a good thing:
In a design piece there cannot be too much space or the piece will not flow. A persons brain interprets things where it simplifies and groups elements together and if it cannot it gets confused. This will lead to the viewer to stop reading. It is like trying to make a connection to something and if it doesn’t it simply won’t work. An example is if you’re trying to find a shell at the beach, but you just scan from afar, you most likely won’t find a shell in all that space! You will find one when you go up close and search around as there is less space to look through. As I look around my house, not only is space used in graphic design, but it applies to my surroundings. My living room furniture is set a certain way so we can get in and out of the doors, it appeals to us, and it just makes sense! To me this reading opened my eyes to how everything must work with its space in order to flow. I will continue to keep my eye open for more and more space around me to see if it flows and what I could do to make it flow!
