The power of white space in B2B Web Design
“As a Design Ops owner working with diverse clients from Tech and SaaS to Media and Gaming, I've found and believe that white space plays a crucial role in enhancing UX, especially in B2B design,” says Dipaq, Founder and Creative Director at SYQI. He also adds that with the removal of unnecessary decorative elements, “The result was a cleaner, more intuitive interface. User testing showed a 30% increase in task completion rates and significantly higher satisfaction scores. This demonstrates how white space can directly impact usability and user perception.”
It’s September, 2024. The message is loud, clear and simple. Thanks to White space! So, is a White Space actually White?
Well, that’s an obvious question! But the answer is, ‘No!’
“The best friend of visual hierarchy is the white space,” Sanjana, a lead designer at Everything Design recalls reading a blog post. In her words, white space is crucial to bring emphasis and establish a visual hierarchy.
White Space is just a negative or bank space that you can see on a website, especially on a B2B website. It is usually aimed to achieve three core objectives:
- Simplify/ Declutter
- Improve the Flow
- Bring Attention
As a user, white space (or negative space) is often overlooked by a user but in the world of design, it plays a crucial role. This is with respect to enhancing visual clarity and improving user experience—especially in the B2B sector. Visual hierarchy is the principle of arranging elements to show their order of importance. Designers structure visual characteristics, example, menu icons, so that the users can perceive a piece of information much easily. By laying out elements logically and strategically, the designers influence users’ perceptions and guide them to desired actions. So, let’s explore why white spaces are essential in design, how they influence readability, and their impact on overall aesthetics, using B2B examples to illustrate these factors.
In B2B web design, white space isn’t just about making your website look good—it’s a powerful design tool that improves usability, readability, and conversion rates. By incorporating ample white space into your web pages, you make it easier for users to focus on the information that matters, guide them through the site, and ultimately drive action.
For B2B businesses, where the sales cycle is often longer and the information presented can be complex, white space is essential for creating an engaging, professional, and user-friendly website that stands out in the marketplace. So next time you're planning a website redesign or tweaking your landing pages, don’t overlook the importance of white space—it could be the key to improving both user experience and business results.
What is White Space in Design?
White space refers to the empty areas in a design that are not filled with text, images, or any other elements. This space can be any colour or texture or even the blurred background of an image for that matter. What is important is its role in creating a sense of visual balance and hierarchy. Speaking from a functional zone, white space can be divided into macro and micro white space.
Micro white space is the space between small elements like paragraphs, letters, lines, icons, buttons or so on. While, macro white space is the space between bigger elements like graphics, text columns, besides margins and padding.
Moreover, it also brings attention to the important elements or products or content on the website. When it comes to content, it can be anything from typography to graphics.
But how does white space help in b2b web design?
1. Enhancing Readability
In B2B communications, clarity is paramount. White space enhances readability by allowing the viewer's eye to navigate easily through the content. When websites showcase technical documents, proposals, or reports are surrounded by ample white space, they become more digestible. B2B websites often need to present a lot of information—whether it's detailed product specifications, case studies, or thought leadership content. Without enough white space, the page can quickly become cluttered and difficult to read, which can turn potential customers away.
By strategically placing white space around text and between sections, you give your content room to breathe. This not only makes your website more visually appealing but also helps users focus on the important messages without feeling overwhelmed. When text and other elements are tightly packed together, they become harder to scan and digest—something you definitely want to avoid in B2B, where decision-makers need quick, clear information.
Now, think of a software company's website offering a comprehensive SaaS solution. If the product details, features, and customer testimonials are crammed together, users will struggle to navigate and focus on what matters most. Adding white space between product features and around CTAs ensures that each piece of information stands out, guiding users through the page.
Example:
Consider HubSpot’s marketing materials. Their use of white space around headings and graphics allows complex information to be easily consumed, ensuring that busy professionals can quickly grasp key points.
2. Creating Visual Hierarchy
White space helps establish a clear visual hierarchy in design, which is especially important for B2B websites. By strategically placing white space around different elements, designers can guide the viewer’s eye toward critical information, such as calls to action or key statistics.
In B2B, it’s critical to direct users' attention to the most important aspects of your site, whether it's a key product feature, an explainer video, or a contact form. This is where white space shines—it helps establish a clear visual hierarchy by emphasising important elements and reducing distractions.
By adding white space around key areas, such as headlines, buttons, and images, you create a sense of priority. This helps users naturally flow from one section to another without getting lost in unnecessary detail. The visual breaks created by white space lead the eye through the site in a logical, user-friendly manner.
Example:
Look at Salesforce’s website. The generous use of white space around their product features highlights each offering, making it easy for potential clients to see how the solutions can meet their needs.
3. Improving User Experience
User experience (UX) is paramount in any design, particularly in the B2B sector, where decisions often involve multiple stakeholders. White space contributes to a more intuitive experience by reducing clutter. When users feel overwhelmed by too many elements, they are likely to disengage. Conversely, a clean design with ample white space can make users feel more comfortable and encourage exploration.
In the B2B space, websites are often data-heavy, with multiple service offerings, technical information, and product specifications. If not handled carefully, this can lead to cognitive overload, where users struggle to process and retain information because there’s simply too much happening on the page.
White space acts as a buffer, giving users the time and space they need to digest the information. By breaking up content into smaller, more digestible chunks, you reduce cognitive load and make it easier for users to follow along. This is especially important in B2B, where the sales cycle is longer and more complex, and decision-makers need to carefully evaluate the information presented to them. Imagine a B2B firm in the manufacturing industry with a site showcasing complex machinery specs. White space between product descriptions, technical diagrams, and callouts makes the dense information easier to follow, leading to a more pleasant and intuitive user experience.
Example:
Take a look at Mailchimp’s dashboard. The interface is designed with ample white space, making it easy for users to navigate through various features without feeling overwhelmed.
4. Fostering Creativity and Focus
In the B2B space, where information can be dense and technical, white space fosters creativity and focus. A cluttered design can lead to cognitive overload, making it difficult for users to concentrate. In contrast, a design with thoughtful white space allows for mental breathing room, enabling users to absorb information more effectively and think critically.
Mindfulness in Design:
Consider the use of white space as a form of mindfulness in your design process. It allows for moments of pause and reflection, encouraging users to engage more deeply with the content.
First impressions matter, especially in B2B, where businesses are often looking for reliable, credible partners. A clean, well-organised website that uses white space effectively projects professionalism, clarity, and trustworthiness.
Overly cluttered websites can appear disorganised or unprofessional, making potential clients question whether your business has the attention to detail required to meet their needs. White space, on the other hand, creates a feeling of openness and simplicity, communicating that your company values clarity and efficiency. In an industry where trust is paramount, white space can enhance the credibility of your website. Now, think of a consulting firm with a sleek, minimalist design that incorporates plenty of white space around its testimonials, service offerings, and contact information will come across as a professional, trustworthy business. The open, clean design makes it easy for clients to find the information they need, enhancing the overall sense of reliability.
Example:
A great example is Asana, which uses white space to separate tasks and projects. This design choice helps teams focus on their work without distraction.
5. Strengthening Brand Identity
In branding, white space can be a powerful tool for conveying a company’s identity. B2B brands that utilise white space effectively often project an image of professionalism and clarity. High-end brands, in particular, rely on minimalistic designs to create a sense of trust and authority.
First impressions matter, especially in B2B, where businesses are often looking for reliable, credible partners. A clean, well-organised website that uses white space effectively projects professionalism, clarity, and trustworthiness.
Overly cluttered websites can appear disorganised or unprofessional, making potential clients question whether your business has the attention to detail required to meet their needs. White space, on the other hand, creates a feeling of openness and simplicity, communicating that your company values clarity and efficiency. In an industry where trust is paramount, white space can enhance the credibility of your website.
Case Study:
Consider how IBM employs white space in its marketing materials. The clean, minimalistic approach emphasises their innovative solutions and positions them as a leader in technology.
Dipaq, Founder and Creative Director at SYQI also added that to some ‘Unpopular Opinions.’ He says,
- “In a counterintuitive case, adding more white space to a landing page actually decreased conversion rates, as it pushed critical information below the fold.
- White space as content: We have used large areas of white space as interactive elements for a project, turning them into expandable sections that revealed more information on click.
- Branded noise: For some brands, especially in gaming or media, a cluttered design with minimal white space can become a distinctive and memorable brand attribute.
- Weaponized white space: Use excessive white space to create discomfort or tension, establishing a provocative brand identity that challenges users' expectations.
- Start backwards: Begin with a completely blank canvas and gradually add elements, rather than starting with content and trying to create space around it.
- Break the grid: Purposefully violate traditional grid systems to create unconventional white space arrangements that capture attention through their uniqueness.”
Conclusion
At the end of the day, every B2B website aims to drive conversions—whether that's filling out a contact form, downloading a whitepaper, or scheduling a demo. Effective use of white space can significantly increase the visibility and effectiveness of calls to action (CTAs) by making them stand out on the page. Instead of cluttering a CTA with too much surrounding text or imagery, give it room to breathe. By isolating the CTA button with white space, you draw the user's attention directly to it, making it more likely that they will click. White space helps users quickly understand what their next step should be, reducing friction and improving overall conversion rates. On a SaaS provider's landing page, a brightly coloured "Get a Demo" button surrounded by white space immediately catches the eye, making it clear what action the user should take next. This focused design encourages clicks and drives leads.
With the rise of mobile traffic, B2B websites need to be just as effective on smaller screens as they are on desktops. White space is a crucial tool for ensuring that mobile users have a positive experience. On mobile, where screen real estate is limited, cluttered designs can lead to frustration, higher bounce rates, and poor engagement. By using white space, you can make your content more scannable and your navigation more intuitive, ensuring that mobile users can easily interact with your site. For a mobile-optimised B2B e-commerce site, adding sufficient white space between menu options, product images, and CTAs prevents users from feeling overwhelmed, leading to a smoother and more enjoyable browsing experience.
One of our designers, Athira, shares a very unique perspective. She says, “Whitespace or the negative space is relieving to the eye. Everything around us is so full of clutter that she goes back home and engages with videos which showcases or embraces minimalism. She enjoys watching ‘de-clutter’ videos or videos where people are cleaning their homes, or garden and that is her kind of therapy to de-clutter”
White space is far more than just empty areas in a design; it is a fundamental component that enhances readability, establishes hierarchy, improves user experience, fosters creativity, and strengthens brand identity. As you embark on your next B2B design project, remember the power of white space. Embrace it, and watch as your designs transform into visually stunning and user-friendly masterpieces.
What are your thoughts on using white space in B2B website design?
References
https://inkbotdesign.com/white-space-in-web-design/
https://www.flux-academy.com/blog/the-importance-of-whitespace-in-design-with-examples
https://www.manypixels.co/blog/web-design/white-space
https://www.code23.com/the-importance-of-white-space-in-web-design/
https://www.hireadrian.com/power-of-white-space-in-web-design/
https://www.creatopy.com/blog/white-space-in-graphic-design/
