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Published in · 5 min read · 21 hours ago
Gestalt Principles are a set of principles in psychology that describe how humans perceive and organise visual information. In the context of UX/UI design, understanding and applying these principles can help designers create more effective and visually pleasing interfaces. Here’s a breakdown of the key Gestalt Principles and their relevance to design:
The principle of closure suggests that humans tend to perceive incomplete shapes or patterns as complete ones by mentally filling in missing information. In design, this principle can be applied to create visually unified elements or layouts where the viewer perceives whole shapes or objects even if parts are missing or obscured.
Many logos use the principle of closure to create memorable and effective designs. By intentionally leaving out parts of a shape, designers can engage the viewer’s brain to complete the image. For example, the WWF panda logo uses this principle, where parts of the panda’s form are suggested rather than fully drawn. Road signs use the principle of closure to convey information quickly and effectively. For example, a stop sign may have missing parts of the letters or borders, but drivers still recognise it instantly.
In UI design, closure can be used to create buttons, icons, and other elements that are easily recognizable even if they are not completely outlined. This can make interfaces more intuitive and visually appealing.
Proximity refers to the tendency for humans to perceive objects that are close to each other as belonging to the same group. Designers can use this principle to visually group related elements together, such as navigation items or related content, to enhance organisation and readability.
Typography is another great example. In a block of text, words that are closer together are perceived as belonging to the same sentence or paragraph. Similarly, in a list of bullet points, items that are spaced closely together are seen as related or part of the same list.
The principle of common fate suggests that elements that move or change in the same direction are perceived as belonging to the same group or having a common purpose. In design, this principle can be applied to animate elements or transitions to create a sense of unity, continuity, and purpose. Examples of this would include:
- Flocks of birds: When birds fly in the same direction, they are perceived as a single group or flock, even if they are spread out over a distance.
- School of fish: Fish swimming in the same direction are seen as part of a cohesive school, rather than as individual fish.
- Scrolling text: In a ticker or scrolling text, words moving in the same direction are perceived as a continuous message.
Continuity suggests that humans tend to perceive continuous and smooth lines or patterns as being more related and coherent than discontinuous ones. Designers can use this principle to guide the flow of information, create visual paths, and establish visual relationships between elements to improve readability and comprehension. Examples include:
- Pathways in gardens: In a garden or park, pathways that curve or meander through the landscape are perceived as continuous routes, even when they disappear behind trees or other features.
- Typography: In flowing cursive text, individual letters connect to each other, creating a sense of continuous movement that our eyes follow.
- Road maps: On a road map, even if a road is interrupted by a symbol or text, we still perceive it as a continuous route.
The figure-ground principle describes how humans perceive objects as either figures (foreground) or the ground (background) based on contrasts in colour, size, shape, or orientation. Designers can use this principle to create clear visual distinctions between foreground and background elements, ensuring that important content stands out and is easily distinguishable.
The image shows an example of Rubin’s vase this is a famous visual illusion developed by the Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin to illustrate the Gestalt Principle of Figure-Ground.
The principle of similarity states that elements that are visually similar to each other, whether in shape, colour, size, or orientation, are perceived as related or belonging to the same group. Designers can leverage this principle to create a visual hierarchy, highlight important elements, and differentiate between different categories of information.
In the image depicting simple wireframes of a website, you can see that elements are perceived as similar and grouped together due to their similar structure.
In iconography, we aim to create icon sets with similarities, such as stroke weight, size, and colour. This helps users perceive them as a cohesive group.
The law of symmetry and order is also known as prägnanz, the German word for “good figure.” What this principle says is that your brain will perceive ambiguous shapes in as simple a manner as possible. For example, a monochrome version of the Olympic logo is seen as a series of overlapping circles rather than a collection of curved lines.
People like symmetry because it is easier to process, suggests health and genetic fitness, provides a sense of order and predictability, aligns with cultural and aesthetic standards, enhances cognitive fluency, offers visual balance, and evokes positive emotional responses.
By understanding and applying these Gestalt Principles, designers can create interfaces that are intuitive to navigate, and engaging for users. These principles serve as valuable guidelines for organising and presenting information in a way that maximises usability and enhances the overall user experience.
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