The Importance of White Space in Design (and life lol)

Please don’t ask me to make the logo, the fonts, the anything bigger! 😭

Are you in the cult of busyness? 

 Your busyness is killing your profit, peace, joy, life – YOU. Its like being in cult. Filling your life from end to work doesn’t guarantee success; if anything, it guarantees that you’ll burn out. I’m in my third year of solopreneurship and with my 30th birthday around the corner, I’ve started asking myself: how can I do less? Chronic over-achiever Lineo is screaming 🙀 because — what do you mean do less? 

I’ve been doing the MOST all my life and all its gotten me is tip-toeing around death. Capitalism venerates the over-achiever and thats what makes it so difficult to get off the hamster wheel, isn’t it? We secretly love the validation of being revered for our grit and hard work, but at what cost?

The planet is burning because of this more, more, MORE loop and so are we and yet when I’m designing or creating, asking “how can I do less” is a normal part of my process. In graphic design (and all creative disciplines actually), the principle “less is more” involves removing unnecessary elements without hindering the main function. This way you end up with more impact through less elements. I’m a lover of white-space in my work (asking me to make things bigger kills my aesthete soul ⚰️), and after spending my early 20s filling my life to the brim with work, I’m looking for opportunities to create white space in my life.

What does life with white space look like?

Look – this isn't about shirking responsibilities or ambition; if anything, it's about focusing on what truly matters. In design, removing unnecessary elements to enhance functionality and impact mirrors the life principle of prioritising tasks and engagements that add value and joy to our lives. WGSN's Future Consumer 2024 report is out and confirming my convictions about the need to create white space so we have room for connection. As technology progresses radically and institutional trust collapses, people are looking for (whether they know it or not) – opportunities to unplug from the cult of busyness. 

If you have a white space product/business idea, now really is your time to shine. I'm currently working on a brand focused on helping people host elevated intimate gatherings in the comfort of their homes.

A life with white space is one where there's room to SEE, breathe, grow, and enjoy. It's a life where activities and relationships are chosen thoughtfully, not just to fill time or meet societal expectations.

I urge you to be in pursuit of life’s simple joys, value quality over quantity, and allowing ourselves the mental and emotional room to be creative, reflective, and relaxed. I need to relax and just like white space gives art impact, asking myself “how can I do less” is given me the most impactful opportunities already. I’m sorry Cher, I don’t want to be a rich white man anymore; but I will gladly have one on my career roster lol 

Best, Lineo (Dinewo)