Hi dear reader,
In my last letter, we saw the comparison of different online writing platforms. The internet is full of so many options that it is easy to get lost while deciding where to begin. I hope it has been useful.
If you remember, two months back, we had talked on the topic: Like most people, do you also think you’re not a designer?
I want to talk on similar lines in this letter.
As a knowledge worker, when you create a document, a report, or a presentation, what do you set out to accomplish?
To change your boss’ mind. Or your team’s mind. Right?
Most of the time, you can’t change someone’s mind by adding more to a document.
In fact, you have to use “negative space” or “white space” to engage them.
Once they’re engaged, their mind becomes receptive to what you want to say.
We will see how to do that in a minute.
But first,
Let’s take an example
Check out these two versions of the above section:
Did you feel squeezed, sort of claustrophobic just by looking at the first version?
Did you feel relaxed just by looking at the second version?
Magical, isn’t it?
I have just introduced some white space. Find the white space in yellow color.
What are the other roles of white space?
Apart from enhancing aesthetics, white space has other roles too.
1. Improving readability
When you use white space by the way of appropriate margins, line spacing, and chunking the information, it drastically improves readability.
Because hey, if the document doesn’t look readable, anything that you have worked hard to write and present is lost.
2. Directing attention
Yes. It is as if you’re designing a puzzle.
As the reader goes through your document, your choice of white space directs them where to look. It is more powerful than most people realize.
3. Improving comprehension
When you make something readable and successfully direct the attention of the reader, they understand what you’re trying to say.
There will be fewer occurrences of confusion and misinterpretation. When you combine it with writing practice, similar to what I have covered in the powerful lean-mean writing system for anyone, clarity becomes the hallmark of your communication.
4. Boosting information retention
Make things memorable.
Your boss or your team might be reading a lot of emails or documents every day.
It is easy to forget your ideas. Not their mistake.
The right amount of white space with the right amount of information makes it memorable.
5. Increasing engagement
The aim is not to be memorable or be understood.
Our goal is to make a change.
You may want your board of directors to reconsider certain elements of the project.
That “reconsideration” is the engagement you’re looking for.
When you do everything right, you increase your odds of getting an engagement from your audience.
How do you do that?
Not by adding random sentences and paragraph breaks.
Let’s take the easiest way to increase your natural white space.
Line spacing
The space between two lines in a document.
Let me show you how to do this in MS Word because most people use it.
Depending on your font size, the line spacing between 1.15 – 2.0 would give you the best readability.
So, that’s how I use white space in my work.
How do you use it?
Hit Reply and share with me.
Reads of the week:
Paul argues that you can’t become poor by spending a lot of money. Your internal brain circuits will fire the alarm. People lose a lot of money in a very different manner than we assume.
Tucker’s interview bagged 100M+ views last week. I’m repeatedly stunned at how little we know about other countries, their culture, and their values. Take the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war for example. How little we know about both the countries and their people! Whether it is the West or the East, journalism has been on a decline for the past few decades. But journalists like Tucker keep my hopes alive, for better journalism. Real journalism.
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