What do you call something that under-utilizes its space? Opposite of cramped
In terms of web design, there is a very specific amount of space between elements that make an interface look nice. Too little space and things look cramped, but too much and they look __. Words like spacious and open usually have positive connotations. I'm looking for a word to describe how something looks when there's too much empty space.
Some of the following terms may apply directly; others are no more than figurative. Most of these words are adjectives rather than adverbs.
• isolated (“Placed or standing apart or alone; in isolation”), eg: “The page elements are overly isolated.”
• empty (“Devoid of content; containing nothing or nobody; vacant”), eg: “The page looks too empty.”
• barren (“bleak”),
• deserted (“desolate”),
• gaping (“Wide open”),
• cavernous (“resembling a cavern; vast”),
• skimpy (“Small or inadequate; not generous”), eg: “The content is skimpy.”
• thin, eg: “The content is rather thin on the ground.”
Sprawling - Spread out over a large area in an untidy or irregular way.
It's often used of constructions/settlements - built over a wide area in a way that is ugly or not carefully planned. a sprawling city. But you can build a website, so I don't see why a "loose" layout shouldn't be sprawling.
These are words I have used to critique websites with the same issue you have described:
- Disconnected
- Lost
- Floating
- Uncoordinated
- Fractured