This week’s post is short, but the message presented is an important one.
I learned much of what I know of white space from John McWade from Before and After Magazine. White space is the empty space between and around the elements of design. Every graphic design has white space, but it is often ignored or used incorrectly.
White space is often viewed as empty space ready to be filled with a photo, a headline or more information.
You’ve seen white space used in some of today’s most successful ads. Apple is famous for their use of white space. They use white space so effectively, that even without a logo or ad copy, their designs are instantly recognizable.
In architecture, we all learned about the Nolli map of Rome and prepared our own figure ground drawings of other familiar cities. When urban fabrics are viewed in such a way, the negative space identifies circulation, movement, places of gathering and activity.
White space allows the object of focus to stand alone. All the extraneous information is stripped away to reveal the pure essence of the object.
Our lives need white space too.
We need to stop and take time to do the unplanned. Spend time with loved ones. Play with our kids. Hang out with friends… with nothing specific to do.
Much like the ads that fill every empty space, so many of us try to fill every moment in our lives with another task. Hours of TV viewing, web surfing and social media tend to be the worst offenders.
Vacations are great opportunities for white space, but there too, we tend to try and fill every moment.
Schedule white space into your daily schedule. Take 1 hour per day to stop and do something unrelated to your firm or your family.
Ride your bike, go for a run or take a walk. Hop in your car and find a quiet spot with a view for lunch. Turn off, relax and enjoy the white space of your day.
These times of white space allow us to re-energize. New ideas will bloom and creativity with rise to the top.
How do you find white space in your day?
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Very true…great post!
Thanks Randy.
This post comes at a perfect time for me. It confirms some thoughts I have been having about reducing my commitments to so many things. I need to buy back some white space. Thanks for the post.
I think many of us are feeling the same way these days. We’ve all been working so hard trying to keep our heads above the water. When we finally find a life vest, we need to stop treading and rest a while.
How about that, here I am at 76 years of ages chacing the work like I was 20 something. Mark’s posting shows up and I find the he is on a similar wavelength that started hitting 0n me a few weeks ago. I was approaching burn-out rapidly. Until recently I would work as much as 10 to 16 hours a day, then I started dosing of at the keyboard. Executive nap breaks weren’t working any more. My religious faith says we are not to work on Sunday (the sabbath) so my taking off time to go in, sing in the choir, listen to a sermon and fellowship with my fellow members afterward. Then stop by Micky D’s for a take-home lunch and afterward go back to work, did I mention I did a little work before leaving for work?
Yesterday I was slightly sore for doing work around the Houshold like Mowing the lawn, etc. and I actually enjoyed the extra activity. Told my wife that I am changing the way I use my time in order to have as Mark calls it; “White Space” for me. Big thumbs up to Mark.
Life is too short to fill every minute with a scheduled task. I am glad you are finding time to enjoy the white space.
Thanks for sharing John.
Good way of framing the challenge.
We must recognize the white space and bring it to life: take a few minutes to meditate on what’s affecting you greatly; give yourself permission to travel the longer way home; learn something from everyone; see the “good” in the “bad;” white space is the leftover area surrounding reality or it is a reality itself…
“give yourself permission to travel the longer way home” – Amen!
My white space is mostly blue…..blue skies, blue water, blue pools, blue flowers, trying something new “out of the blue”.
Love your newest blog. Hope you are taking your own advice.
I love you, MOM xoxoxo
You taught me about living life with white space before I knew what white space was : )
Perfectly said Mark!!
Thanks Greg.
A great and timely post. In Chinese five element theory and feng shui, the color white is associated with the metal element and is linked to human creativity. All ideas for the future are generated in this space, both literally and figuratively, as it provides a blank canvas on which to paint. The absence of design details is more important than the placement of items that occupy space – conveying achievement rather than potential.
I love that… it takes my ideas on white space to the next level.
I am so interested in how ideas evolve and develop on the internet. We create something like this post, put it out there and watch it grow. Everything is already there for us… we just need to go out and discover it.
Thanks for adding your thoughts.
Mark,
Well said…a rare position in today’s culture.
I agree Lee… rare indeed, but I think it is so important to our success as business people, as architects, as spouses, as parents and most of all for our own health and well being.
A great post. i think today subconsciously everybody wants this white space. We just need to sit down n think about our busy life. we are not spending time with our being though it is me or you who is running for our projects or profession, looks like it is ours but watching a t.v. for continuous hrs is bocus why ? beacoz we are not watching our being. just sit down n close ur eyes. why closing eyes with no thought in mind is so peaceful.
i think this is white space or whatever we architect may call it.
it would be better if try to provide this white space in our designs, every space has its own quality, it’s own impact, a puja space brings different kinds of thoughts in our mind and a restaurant or tv room brings some other thoughts…..