The Gestalt Principles

Introduction:

We come across many laws/principles in UX to ensure we follow a set of rules to communicate with a wide range of people around the globe, where design is an easy way of communication.

Today let’s look into Gestalt Principles which help to describe how humans group similar elements simplify complicated objects and recognize patterns. Designers use Gestalt Principles to organize content so it will be appealing aesthetically and easy to understand.

Source: Exploring the Gestalt Principles of Design | Toptal®

Derivation of “Gestalt” Principles.

“Gestalt” is a German word for “unified whole”. German psychologists Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Kohler created the Gestalt Principles in the 1920s.

Six individual principles are commonly associated with Gestalt theory.

1. Law of Similarity

2. Law of Good Figure/Pragnanz 

3. Law of Proximity 

4. Law of Continuity

5. Law of Closure

6. Law of Common Region

1. Law of Similarity: The law of similarity states that we perceive elements as a group if they are similar in shape, size, color, or other characteristics.

Source Credit: Similarity Principle in Visual Design (nngroup.com)

2.   Law of Good Figure/Pragnanz : 

The Law of Prägnanz (or Pragnanz)/Figure suggests that when people are presented with complex shapes or a set of ambiguous elements, their brains choose to interpret them in the easiest manner possible.

   Source Credit: (68) Pinterest 

1. Law of Proximity:   Law of Proximity describes how the human eye perceives elements that are close together as more related than elements that are further apart. This principle applies even if the elements differ in color, shape, size, or other characteristics.

Source Credit: 6 Characteristics of a Good Logo - Jayce-o-Yesta

1. Law of Continuity: Continuity is that our brains tend to see objects as continuous or smooth rather than disjointed or discontinuous. A great example of this phenomenon is a movie. Movies are just millions of pictures put together and flipped.

Source Credit: Continuity Design (inspiredpencil.com)

1. Law of Closure: The law of closure is the action the brain takes to fill in gaps in things it perceives. For example, if someone sees a circle with gaps in the line, they still understand that the shape is a circle because the brain fills in those gaps.

Source Credit: (68) Pinterest

1. Law of Common Region: Law of Common Region defines element grouping, it states that we see elements placed in the same area as a group. It is crucial that the area must have a clear boundary, for example in UI, we can use a border or background color to create a container for related items

Source Credit: Law of Common Region Lesson | Uxcel

Bottom Line

Incorporating the visual perception principles of Gestalt into your design work can significantly enhance the user experience. By understanding and leveraging how the human brain processes visual information, you can create more intuitive and comfortable interactions for users.

Gestalt laws are straightforward to apply to nearly any design and can rapidly transform a chaotic or distracting layout into one that provides a seamless, natural interaction. This approach effectively guides users toward the desired actions, making their journey through your site effortless and engaging.