Rise of the grid: why interfaces are getting denser
Screens are going back to data-heavy layouts. Here is why dense interfaces feel more honest than minimal ones.
For a decade, good interface design meant removing things. White space was a virtue. Now the pendulum is swinging back.
Density is a form of respect
A dense interface assumes you can read. It shows the state of the system instead of hiding it behind a friendly illustration.
Three rules I keep
- Every number gets a unit
- Every status gets a time
- Every decoration must carry information
If a line on the screen does not tell you something, it is noise.
Where it goes wrong
Density without hierarchy is just clutter. The trick is to make the important thing loud and everything else quiet but present.