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> The empty space between the rows of email messages seems unnecessarily big. I get this was done for design's sake Careful when complaining about spacing - wh
by tomxor 8y ago
> The empty space between the rows of email messages seems unnecessarily big. I get this was done for design's sake
Careful when complaining about spacing - when it comes to text, spacing is a functional decision, yes it will make it look pretty when done "right" but this is often also because it is more legible - function and aesthetic are the same when it comes to typography.
Similarly others have complained about the spacing left and right (i.e it being excessively padded to be centered), but this is also for legibility - the very same reason newspapers have columns and not full width text.
- wtallis 8y agoIt's not for legibility. GMail has plenty of padding to be readable even when set to "compact" density. If there's any functional justification at all, it's about being touchscreen friendly, even if you don't have a touchscreen.
- userbinator 8y agothe very same reason newspapers have columns and not full width text. Newspapers also do not have 6-inch margins on either side. Another irritation of mine is fixed-width sites. If I'm making my browser window wider, chances are I'm trying to widen the text, not expect it to stay in a narrow column in the middle with useless space on either side. If I wanted it narrow, I would've narrowed the window.
- sunshinelackof 8y agoTypography often takes into consideration the width of the text explicitly and how it influences the style and tone of the document. While I don't imagine that everyone is doing this, it is a thing. The nearest analog I think of is maintaining the aspect ratio of an image. You might still understand the piece of media if it's not in its original format, but that was not the intent.