I'm pretty happy with my layout, but some of the screenshots I've seen of this game are disgusting. Some people have ui elements everywhere, including the middle of the screen. Dunno how anyone could play like that.
I'm not sure how close to the middle of the screen you're talking, but I put my party setup closer to the center than the edge. I need to be able to actually see them when I'm healing without looking into the corner so I can keep an eye on the action and party health at the same time.