Joshua Tree Moment

I think that the biggest revelation I had from this week’s reading was about white space. I never realized that the reason certain designs appealed to me was because the designer used the blank spaces of the design just as effectively as the printed parts. An example a white space revelation I had related to the new designs for the Publix brand of canned vegetables. Publix is the grocery store I frequented in Florida – here’s a link to a website (not run by Publix, run by nerds) where you can see the packaging: http://www.publixpackaging.com. The cans are nearly all white – the only real information on the front of the can is the name of the vegetable and a simple image of the contents. Two weeks ago, when I set foot in a Bi Lo for the first time, I was lost in the vegetable aisle. I realized in that moment that I missed the white cans that stood out so well from the cluttered, colorful cans of the other brands. After reading the Non-Designer’s Design Book, I’ve realized that the appeal of the design was the part that was left alone – the white label of the can. Now I’m noticing white space (or a lack thereof) everywhere.