Jeff Woelker : Chicago SEO, SEM, and Online Marketing Consultant

A list apart (which I highly recommend you read, both for the good and bad articles) just published another article about branding in relation to whitespace. In case you haven’t noticed, whitespace has come into its own with many new web applications and sites: Flickr, 43folders, Backpackit, etc. And even major news portals have started to implement the “less is more” approach to design.

To boil the article down quickly, the net effects of a whitespace overhaul are:

1. Improved legibility and readability.
2. Creates a sense of lightness or airiness within the page itself, making your brand seem less intrusive and more passive (this may or may not work for all audiences and brands).
3. Creates a sense of playfulness if used creatively.

Some of the things to watch out for though are:

1. Creating additional length to each page, which increases scrolling, but as we have seen in the past, vertical scrolling is not really a problem anymore.
2. If overused, your content can look disjointed.

So tread softly with whitespace and always remember to try it out in different browsers and platforms. PLEASE!