White Space is the screen area that is not taken up by text, graphics, or video.  Far from being left over space these areas are key to the functionality of the design.  White space can:

  1. Bring together or separate ideas.
  2. Create a lightness to the screen display (make it less overpowering easier to comprehend)
  3. Illustrate relationships through use of space.  Text with effectively used white space can border on being a diagram.

A rule of thumb for text on screen is not more than six words per line and six lines per screen.  This is know as the 6 X 6 rule.  It is also suggest that the font be at least 24 point.

24 point