White Space

[pioneer]

by Terry Barber

“Most of my career has been in advertising, branding, and writing. Over the years, I’ve seen hundreds of ads, letters, proposals, and commercials. In the past, I would judge these creative renderings based on their message and intended audienceâ€"still not a bad consideration within the process. But now, as I begin passing judgment, I find myself critiquing something else: the white space. Does it have enough white space? I can’t say it enough: I hate being crowded, and I really despise crowded letters, crowded ads, crowded 60-second spots. They try to say so much that I can’t hear anything. Like the train, like the highway, like my closet, these communiqués and radio spots are all calling out in one accord, ‘MORE WHITE SPACE. PLEASE!’”