4th Edition

White Space Is Not Your Enemy A Beginner's Guide to Communicating Visually Through Graphic, Web & Multimedia Design

By Rebecca Hagen, Kim Golombisky Copyright 2025
    288 Pages 244 Color Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    288 Pages 244 Color Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    DESIGNING a website or brochure without an art background? Then step away from the computer and read this engaging conversational introduction to visual communications first. Written for the beginner, White Space Is Not Your Enemy is a practical graphic design and layout guide that introduces the concepts and practices necessary for producing effective visual communication across a variety of formats—from web to print. This beautifully illustrated full-color book covers all of the basics to help you develop your eye and produce evocative designs that work.

     

    Topics include:

    ·         What is Design?

    ·         Pre-design research & brainstorming

    ·         The elements & principles of design

    ·         Layouts for impact

    ·         Getting along with type

    ·         Choosing & using color

    ·         Working with photos & Illustrations

    ·         Creating infographics

    ·         Designing for Web & social media

    Chapter 1: What is Design

    Chapter 2: Step Away from the Computer

    Chapter 3: I Need to Design this Today (WET Layout)

    Chapter 4: Layout Sins

    Chapter 5: Mini Art School

    Chapter 6: Layout

    Chapter 7: Type

    Chapter 8: Color Basics

    Chapter 9: Adding Visual Appeal

    Chapter 10: Infographics

    Chapter 11: Storyboarding

    Chapter 12: Designing for Social media

    Chapter 13: Designing for the Web

    Chapter 14: Conclusion

    Glossary 

    Biography

     Rebecca Hagen taught public relations and design courses at the University of South Florida. She is a 20-year practicing graphic designer and founder of Sky Lake Design Studio, a graphic design firm in Tampa, Florida.

     A former advertising and public relations pro, Kim “Dr. G.” Golombisky is an award-winning teacher and scholar at the University of South Florida.

    This go-to resource offers a seamless balance of design history, industry-specific terminology, and creative inspiration.
    — Sarah Johnson, School of Communication & Media, Kennesaw State University

    I always assign White Space when teaching visual design, as it gives my classes foundational principles and a shared design vocabulary.
    — Lauren E. Cagle, Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies, University of Kentucky

    White Space has been incredibly useful as I teach my Media Design classes, and our students consistently say it’s the best textbook they’ve ever had.
    —Emily Kinsky, Department of Communication, West Texas A&M University

    A great book that simplifies the concepts and illustrates them! A must book.
    —Scott Farrand School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of South Carolina