You might have seen hundreds of thousands of websites on the internet, and if you spend some time checking them, you'll notice that the percentage of websites with white background is quite high these days. The reason for this varies from website to website. There are people who believe that their website with plain white background is the reason for their popularity, but that’s not always the case.
We are here drilling down into some of the simples to complex reasons why web designers prefer a white backdrop over others. Understanding those reasons would help you to decide if you should go with the white background or not.
White is the default setting
The simplest explanation why so many websites have a white background is the default effect. This effect states that when you have some option as a default, most people will look for that. Most people believe that default is the best recommendation from the system, some may feel happy because they don’t have to struggle to add any background when a default option already exists. Web developers know that CSS and HTML styles automatically default to white, and so they prefer white as the default option.
White background improves Readability
White background with something written over it in black is a perfect way of writing in a readable format. When it comes to reading content on a website color contrast scheme is the key. And best contrast is achieved by pairing two opposite ends of the color spectrum together like black and white.
So, the question is why white background and black text and not the other way around? All of us have grown up reading from textbooks with black-colored text on a white background. The same scenario persists today. This theory may not hold, if you are using any glowing color on a dull background, the readability will improve. Improved readability is the only reason for selecting a plain white background beneath the black text. But black text and white backdrop is not the only option.
Color psychology
Color psychology refers to the study that studies human behavior on different colors. The subject states that we may be influenced by certain shades and irritated by some. Color psychology may not be so valuable tool when it comes to branding and marketing, because the way audiences react to certain colors or color schema may or may not have a direct effect on the decision of the purchaser. Things like logos and brand design can impact sales, so won’t be wise enough to say that the color choices you make can have a direct impact on customers. Knowing a little bit about color psychology can help you to make sure you don’t unintentionally lose a potential customer.
Some people feel that white is a neutral color. With this in mind, your web design could reach people all over the world.
In most Western cultures, white represents purity and peace: that's why people prefer wearing white dresses and white doves at weddings. But in some Asian countries, like China and Korea, white represents death, mourning, and bad luck.
Color relevance might be overlapping some countries. For example, the white color is a symbol of cease-fire in countries all over the world. Some cultures refer to white as a symbol of cleanliness, some call it a signifier of sterility. The understanding from all of this clears that the significance of white must be kept in mind while using a white background for desktop or mobile.
Making white work best for you
Now that you've read enough about the cultural and psychological effects of white color, feel free to explore this color for your website design, social media layouts, or even your desktop or mobile wallpapers.
Designs are something that matter to attract viewers. If you are looking for a sleek design, go for plain white background. It still remains a standard background for blogs and websites with a lot of content written because of easy readability.
A plain white background may not be the only option. You can try different colors and design the background that best suits your website or product portfolio.
