Keep it short and simple. An old cliché, but supported in many psychological studies. Density of design, like density of ideas, discourages readers. A morass of information is memorable in an entirely negative way. As a result, content is not conveyed effectively to long-term memory. Industry guidelines on density (mostly concerning the display of alphanumeric information) vary widely, but most agree that the percentage of active screen area in a good display should not exceed 50%. Generally: If an idea, or a task, is consuming a display, then it might need to be stated more succinctly, broken into pieces, or re-thought entirely.