Pum Lefebure – let’s start with who she is (and really, what doesn’t she do?). Creative genius. Entrepreneur. Mom. Global speaker. Heck, she’s even made an appearance in an H&M ad campaign. Originally from Thailand and now the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Design Army, Lefebure’s global sensibility has made its mark in the world of American design: think the Academy Awards, Bloomingdales, Disney, The Ritz Carlton, and Pepsi. Check out @pumlefebure and @designarmy to see more of who she is and what she does.

Neenah, one of Lefebure’s favorite clients, recently asked her to work her magic to reimagine The Design Collection. In addition to completely reorganizing the portfolio into a three-part system, she and her team created a cool new piece called Design Principles. The promotion looks at the guiding concepts used to arrange the elements of design, such as white space, color, rhythm, hierarchy, and repetition. Follow @neenahpaper to see more about The Design Collection and Design Principles.

One of the hallmarks of Lefebure’s design aesthetic is white space so we asked and she answered…in case you didn’t catch all that this busy woman said in her video here are highlights.

Why white space?

I think we live in a world that’s a very noisy place right now. We are on the phone 24/7 there’s noise everywhere, you scroll down through your Instagram feed and everyone is talking, everyone is famous, and it’s just noise and noise and noise, so much so that I don’t even hear it anymore. I live in a house without color because each day, I want to come home to a blank canvas.

There is nothing I love more than white space. It allows me to create as much as I want within a physical blank space or as little as I want with a single word on a page. White space can be quiet, but can also be powerful.

What is whitespace in graphic design?

Designers love it. Clients fear it. It’s critical for clear, effective design. And still, some think of white space as “negative.” But the best designers know better. Sometimes, it’s not what you see, but what you don’t see. That’s when white space offers the right amount of…well…nothing.

What is the power of white space?

White space is what makes you stop and read a visual design, it makes you see what’s missing and draws on your feelings. Those who say that white space is wasted space are living in full fantasy.

Is white space always white?

Although white is the obvious choice of color for white space, it’s not limited to just that. White space can be a solid color, a texture or any other visual that gives you the balance and pause so your design can communicate.

How do you tell clients that white space is a good thing? 

Every client loves eye-catching design elements, so any “empty” spaces may seem wasteful. I often tell the client if everything is noisy how can anyone see or hear the design? White space is the pause in visual communication. It’s so important for us to communicate and educate our clients.

Design Principles is a new promotion from Neenah. It’s a box of 20 “flash card” circles, each looking at a different design principle, each beautifully designed, each showcasing printing techniques, and, of course, each on a different beautiful paper from The Design Collection.

To get an up-close look at all the papers The Design Collection has to offer, go here to get a set of the new swatchbooks here. (While supplies last.)

We’ll be talking more about design principles with Lefebure in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.