Visual Design Solutions: Principles and Creative Inspiration for Learning Professionals

Chapter 4Organizing Graphic Space

“White space is like air. It is necessary for a design to breathe.”

— Alex White

The Framework

THIS CHAPTER answers these questions:

• What is graphic space?
• How should I use white space?
• How do I know where to put the text and images?
• How can I create a professional looking layout?

Graphic space is more than the container that holds your design. It is the area where you organize and manipulate images and text to communicate visually. Although you may think of this area as “just a background” to hold visual elements, graphic space is a design element in its own right. Space communicates information when you use it intentionally.

In this chapter, you will learn how graphic space informs a design. You will see how you can shift your perspective so that the background becomes as important as the foreground. Most important, you will see how becoming aware of space will help you to become a better designer.

Graphic Space

Graphic space is the two-dimensional area you work with in visual design. It is a tangible element, similar to images and type. This two-dimensional space has certain properties that you should consider when you design, as shown in Figure 4.1. These properties help define space and create the conditions for designing with it.

Figure 4.1 Properties of graphic space.

Properties of Graphic Space

• Orientation is the direction ...