The uniform adjustment of space between all characters in a word or block of text, also called tracking. Increased letter spacing can improve readability for uppercase text and small sizes. Avoid negative letter spacing in body text as it impairs readability.

The space inside an element, between its content and border. Padding improves readability and visual balance by creating internal breathing room. Consistent padding values help maintain a coherent design system.

An interactive element allowing users to switch between content panels without leaving the page, saving space and organizing related content. Tabs work best for equally important parallel content, not sequential steps. Ensure tab interfaces are keyboard accessible with proper ARIA roles.

Empty space in a design that provides visual breathing room and separation between elements. Whitespace improves readability, focus, and perceived quality of designs. Resist filling every available space—whitespace is an active design element.

The adjustment of space between individual letter pairs to achieve visually balanced text, particularly important in headlines and logos. Poor kerning creates awkward gaps or collisions that undermine professional appearance. Pay special attention to problematic pairs like AV, To, and We where mechanical spacing looks wrong.

Adjusting element positions based on visual perception rather than mathematical precision, making designs feel balanced. Optical alignment acknowledges that geometric centering doesn't always look centered to human eyes. Fine-tune alignments manually when mathematical precision creates visual imbalance.