070 Horror Vacui
A tendency to fill blank spaces with things rather than leaving spaces empty.
• A Latin expression meaning “fear of emptiness”.
• Though the term has varied meanings dating back to Aristotle, today it is principally used to describe a style of art and design that leaves no empty space.
• The style is commonly employed in commercial media such as newspapers, comic books, and websites.
• As horror vacui increases, perceived value decreases.
• For example, the number of products in retail windows tends to be inversely related to the average price of products and store brand prestige.
• Consider horror vacui in the design of commercial displays and advertising. Favor minimalism to signal high-priced products. Favor horror vacui to ...
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access