The Power of White Space

Something I wasn't privy to beforehand is just how important alignment is to good design. For instance, the ugliness of center alignment is extremely obvious when put adjacent to a navigation bar that is justified left. I think the main reason for this is justifying the text to the leftmost edge is the most efficient use of white space possible.

White space (or whatever background color) is important because it is the common denominator that is most visible. Depending on the amount of raw white space, a page can look empty, cluttered, sophisticated, or chaotic. Leaving some white space is important so the viewer's eyes aren't strained.

Good design is also dependent on symmetry, repetition, and a common interface that is recognizable throughout the pages. If white space is incredibly different from page to page, it will be visually jarring. I personally prefer a minimalistic design that favors simplicity and sophistication, which mean more white space. The whole tone of the page can be changed with the placement of the dominant element and how the dominant element is framed. I've noticed that bad design has the dominant element closely packed with other columns and pictures and text. It is better if you give the dominant element some breathing room for easy readability.