The card on the left is not cluttered; it has some white space. But the elements are not logically grouped, so the effect is weak.
The reader is forced to scan the card multiple times. The card on the right, however, has a more pleasing visual effect. The reader simply has to glance at it to take in the information (more on this later).
The grouping of elements in the card on the right is also more logical. In the first set of elements we see the company name in large font with the location below it. The second set tells us how to get information on the services provided (i.e. phone number and website address).
This example illustrates the importance of proximity in print design, and a similar idea can be used for elements in web design, as shown in the screenshot below.
When several items are in close proximity to each other, they become one visual unit rather than several separate units. Items relating to each other should be grouped together. Be conscious of where your eye is going:
Where do you start looking?
What path do you follow?
Where do you end up?
After you've read it, where does your eye go next?
You should be able to follow a logical progression through the piece, from a definite beginning to a definite end.The basic purpose of proximity is to organize.
Other principles come into play as well, but simply grouping related elements together into closer proximity automatically creates organization. If the information is organized, it is more likely to be read and more likely to be remembered.
As a by-product of organizing the communication, you also create more appealing (more organized) white space (designers' favorite thing).
What to avoid
Don't stick things in the corners or in the middle just because the space is empty.
Avoid too many separate elements on a page.
Avoid leaving equal amounts of white space between elements unless each group is part of a subset.
Avoid even a split second of confusion over whether a headline, subhead, caption, graphic, etc., belongs with its related material. Create a relationship among elements with close proximity.
Don't create relationships with elements that don't belong together! If they are not related, move them apart from each other.