How to Use Visual Dividers in User Interfaces

The thoughtful design of content performance in web and mobile user interfaces means much for amplifying the utility and usability of the product. Our today’s article is devoted to visual dividers, the layout elements that help to organize content on the screen and separate its parts clearly. Let’s check how visual dividers work and what types of them are popular.

Kinds of Visual Dividers

Talking about dividers, we can analyze them in two aspects: their appearance and their functions. Starting with the visual part, there are five basic and broadly used methods of dividing content in user interfaces:

• lines
• color
• negative space
• shadows/volume
• images.

Lines

Lines have been among the top methods of separating content since time immemorial, both in print production and in digital interfaces. They are recognized easily in this role, so users won’t need to think twice.

On the other hand, this approach can seem overly simple and far from original. So, quite often, designers strive to find other ways of content separation. What’s more, it is recommended to use lines only if the content cannot be effectively divided in another way. Too many lines can overload the screen with visual noise and create unnecessary visual tension.

Alethia website by ++hellohello uses lines as visual dividers

Negative Space

Negative space (aka white space) means empty space on the screen around and often inside the elements. Yet, empty doesn’t mean passive or wasted: as well as any other element of the screen, it works to support a positive user experience. Negative space is one of the most popular kinds of visual dividers, especially in interfaces built on the idea of minimalism and simplicity. Spiced with the knowledge of Gestalt principles of visual perception, for example, proximity and similarity principles, negative space turns into a practical and elegant visual divider that also lets the interface breathe and avoid clutter.

Prototype website design by Beaucoup

Color Contrast

Another effective type of visual divider is color contrast. Color choice and combinations in UI design have great psychological potential: they can strengthen the message and content of the website, creating the appropriate mood. Contrast is one of the key factors influencing the scannability and visual hierarchy of the page or screen. With that in mind, color contrast can effectively separate different options, items, or interactive zones, acting as a visual divider. That is the reason why split screens have been so trendy in recent years. That may also explain the popular approach of organizing landing pages and single-page websites into content blocks on contrasting color backgrounds.

Home page design for PieterKoopt website by Uncommon

Shadows and Volume

Shadows and volume, usually created to give a part of the content visual elevation, can also work effectively as dividers. They create a feeling of depth and separate the page into several layers that often look natural and harmonic to the human eye. On the other hand, it looks less obvious and noticeable than lines, so this approach may be helpful in achieving balance and legibility of the particular items without too much visual noise or distraction.

A restaurant stock tracking application by Tino

Images

Images of all kinds present one more effective visual divider. In this role, they are especially popular in interfaces with lots of text content, for example, blogs, online media, and text-based landing pages. Photos, illustrations, 3D graphics, as well as animated images, help to balance the text content, increase scannability and readability levels, effectively divide the visual blocks, as well as add fun and emotional appeal.

Company website design for Aitken Turnbull by Harrison Carlos

Eladio Dieste website by ++hellohello

Functional Types

The functional types of visual dividers depend on the hierarchy levels they support.

Full bleed dividers

Full-bleed dividers separate sections and span the full width of the screen layout.

LimeIQ website design by Hexagon Agency

Inset dividers

Inset dividers separate related content items, anchored by elements that align with the app bar title or adjust to the specific kind of text content on the page.

Son Daven website by The First The Last

The portfolio list page on the Grapheine website by Ocitocine uses a combination of full-bleed and inset dividers to organize the neat directory

Dividers with subheaders

In some cases, you can pair dividers with subheaders to identify a block of grouped content. In this case, the divider should be placed above the subheader to make the subheader’s connection to content more obvious.

Middle dividers

These are usually dividers placed somewhere in the middle of a layout, for example, to separate related content, such as prices on a receipt.

Points to consider

When choosing a visual divider for your design layout, consider two essential factors.

Subtlety: Dividers shouldn’t yell for users’ attention and shouldn’t distract users from the content itself. The goal behind the divider is to support and clean up the layout, not to catch attention. So, make them noticeable but not annoying.

Moderate Frequency: As mentioned above, too many visual dividers, especially if they add elements to the layout like lines do, can create visual noise and make the user interface tiring. So, thinking over the type, think twice or seven times more. Prefer negative space to lines where it’s possible; don’t overplay with colors; strive for harmony and consistency.

As the examples above show, designers tend to find an effective combination of visual dividers to organize content on webpages or mobile screens.

Useful Articles

Here’s a set of articles covering additional aspects and best practices in user experience design.

The Anatomy of a Web Page: Basic Elements

Web Design: 18 Basic Types of Web Pages

Negative Space in Design: Tips and Best Practices

UX Practices on Product Page Design

Types of Interactive Content That Boosts Engagement

Guide to 6 Effective Types of Web Animation

How to Design an Effective Home Page and Let Users Feel Like Home

5 Types of Images for Web Content

How to Make Web Interface Scannable

Error Screens and Messages: UX Design Practices

How To Use Hero Images in Web Design

Aesthetic Usability: How Beauty Improves User Experience