![]() It’s human nature to group like things together. There are also some additional, newer principles sometimes associated with gestalt, such as common fate. There are six individual principles commonly associated with gestalt theory: similarity, continuation, closure, proximity, figure/ground, and symmetry & order (also called prägnanz). Our brains are built to see structure and patterns in order for us to better understand the environment that we’re living in. ![]() In the simplest terms, gestalt theory is based on the idea that the human brain will attempt to simplify and organize complex images or designs that consist of many elements, by subconsciously arranging the parts into an organized system that creates a whole, rather than just a series of disparate elements. Regardless of who first proposed the ideas (there have been essays dating back as far as 1890), gestalt theory principles are an important set of ideas for any designer to learn, and their implementation can greatly improve not just the aesthetics of a design, but also its functionality and user-friendliness. The most influential early proposal written about the theory was published by Max Wertheimer in his 1923 Gestalt laws of perceptual organization, though Wolfgang Köhler’s 1920 discussion of Physical Gestalten also contains many influential ideas on the subject. This principle is one of the most important underlying ideas behind the gestalt principles of perception. It’s why we see faces in things like tree leaves or sidewalk cracks. (And why 3-column designs are all the rage.) Studies have also shown that our standard for “beauty” in faces depends largely on symmetry.The human brain is exceptionally good at filling in the blanks in an image and creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. That’s probably why symmetry proves so popular in governmental buildings throughout the world. That’s why symmetry is so satisfying to us: it’s a simple, harmonious rule that conveys a sense of order and rightness in things. It should come as no surprise that people tend to look for order in objects, and symmetry is one means of doing that. The Gestalt principle of symmetry is when people perceive symmetrical elements as part of a unified group. Dramatic whitespace, like when you place a focal point in total isolation from other elementsĪnd so much more.Typographic emphasis, like bolding, italics, all caps, etc.Dramatic size changes, such as a hero headline set at 72pt.Dramatic color changes, such as when a CTA button or other link is given a highly contrasting color.Of course, there are all kinds of ways to create emphasis in a design, including: But that centrality makes it all the more important to intelligently and purposefully apply emphasis and difference - after all, as the saying goes, “if everything’s emphasized, nothing is.” Focal pointsįocal points are points of interest, emphasis, or difference capture and hold our attention.įocal points serve as the key to so many elements of web design that it almost feels odd to point it out. ![]() These parallel lines create tension with the otherwise scattered text, but also create relief by momentarily restoring a normal reading experience to the dynamic composition. Lines of parallel text help us make sense of this complex tangle of letters.Īmidst this chaotic jumble of text, Marinetti offers occasional breathers of (relative) clarity and relatedness by setting a few lines of type parallel to each other. The text “Headlines” is clearly related to all the content in the card below - even though it’s not enclosed within the card. Objects that are close together are seen as related, while objects that are far apart … aren’t.įor example, check out Google’s News site, below. The Gestalt principle of proximity is when we see objects that are close to each other as more related than objects that are far apart. Now that you have a general idea of the seven Gestalt principles of design, let’s take a deeper dive into each one. There are seven Gestalt web design principles: You can try to see the more complex arrangement, but it takes more effort - your eyes just want to return to the simpler pattern. As per the Law of Prägnanz, we see the Olympic logo as interlocking rings, instead of a bunch of meaningless, complex shapes.
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