Stop Adding Things. Start Removing What Doesn’t Help.
There is a scene in Anchorman where Ron Burgundy starts adding graphics on the screen until it becomes absolute chaos. It is funny, but also painfully real. News programs do the same thing today, with tickers, pop ups, and moving banners trying to keep viewers glued to the screen. But more noise does not equal more attention. Sometimes it has the opposite effect.
The same goes for websites, videos, and any digital design. You do not need every corner filled. You do not need ten different visual tricks happening at once. A message needs space to breathe. White space is not wasted space. It is clarity.
When I work on a website or a video, I start by understanding the client and the message they want to convey. That dictates what stays and what goes. There is no point adding more buttons, more paragraphs, or more animations if they are not helping the audience understand something faster. People have only a few seconds to decide whether to stay or leave. If the design is cluttered or confusing, they are gone before the page even settles.
Clarity means the audience knows exactly where to look and where to go next. It is the difference between using your website’s real estate purposefully versus letting it turn into a messy garage. A video works the same way. Either the hook catches people immediately, or it doesn’t, and once you lose them, they rarely come back.
Some clients get nervous when I strip things back. They look at all the empty space and think something is missing. But then they start reading the page and realise the message stands out. The design supports the content instead of fighting it. I always compare it to a PowerPoint slide packed with so much text that it looks like an eye test. No one wants to squint their way through information.
Simplifying a design does more than tidy things up. It improves accessibility, which is something I care deeply about. Clean layouts, proper spacing, readable headings, and thoughtful contrast help everyone navigate a website, including people with disabilities. A site that is accessible is a site that respects its entire audience. Good design should include, not exclude.
And here is the truth. If something does not support your message, it does not belong. Adding more rarely makes a message clearer. More often, removing the right things makes everything work better.
White space is calm. White space is clarity. White space is confidence.
Ready to take the next step with your website? Whether you’re starting from scratch, refreshing your current site, or need help editing the video you took on your phone, I can help you create something that feels right for you and works well for your audience. Get in touch here.
