An overview of Gestalt for two-dimensional design.

1. “There are no rules in art.”
However, there are consequences.
All human beings have subconscious
reactions to visual images. The more you
understand how your visual choices affect
other people, the more you will be able to
create visual compositions that can attract
the attention of your fellow humans.
Gestalt is a system of describing how
humans react to visual images.

2. GESTALT
German word for form or shape.
The Gestalt is the “big picture” or
first impression that we see when
we encounter a visual image.
This reaction is unconscious, and
is almost universal among
humans.
For example, most people see
this image as a black triangle in
front of three, white circles.

3. Gestalt is how our brains
automatically create
structure in what we see.
Changing the arrangement,
or composition, of elements
in a visual image can
dramatically change what
you see.

4. Our brains always want to simplify what we
see to avoid becoming overwhelmed. A brain
prefers to see similar items as a group, rather
than keep track of individual elements.
In this example, your brain will see the white
and black circles as rows of circles. Your
brain wants to simplify the image to “row of
white circles, row of black circles, etc.,” rather
than seeing each element separately as
“white circle, white circle, white circle, etc.”
and “black circle, black circle, black circle,
etc.”
SIMILARITY

5. What about this image?
Your brain will choose the dominant visual
information and make rows of red and rows
of white.
Why don’t we automatically see columns of
squares and circles? Because the contrast
between the red and white is stronger than
the contrast between the circle and square
forms, when seen on a white background.
SIMILARITY

6. CONTINUITY
Our brains also have a strong preference for following lines.
In this example, your brain will see a horizontal line intersected by a
curved line. Like anything in motion, your brain will follow a path in one
direction, and it takes some extra effort to get it to make a sharp turn.

7. COMMON REGION
Doesn’t it seem obvious that these are two domino-like blocks, one slightly larger than
the other? Your brain loves to make groups out of visual imagery because it is faster
and easier to recognize and remember 2 objects (the two “dominoes”) rather than 29
objects (27 circles and 2 rectangles). Common region describes objects within a frame.

8. PROXIMITY
Your brain is so determined to group information that you don’t even need
borderlines. The concept of proximity describes the way our brains will tell
us that objects close together form a group. Your brain sees the larger gaps
between these circles almost as invisible outlines.

9. SIMPLICITY
Your brain wants to simplify the world.
At first glance, your brain will interpret this as a
triangle, a circle and a square. Those are simple,
easy shapes to see and remember.
You can imagine many different things in this
shape, like seeing images in clouds. A dog? A
duck quacking? A portrait bust tipping over and
falling off a pedestal? But all these images take
creative effort. Your most lazy, automatic brain will
still start with a triangle, a circle and a square.

10. SIMPLICITY
Do you see the Olympic Rings? Yes, because that is a familiar symbol, and it
even has an easy name. Otherwise your brain would have to think about five
separate circles overlapping on two, different horizontal levels, or a whole
bunch of semi circles touching each other.

11. FIGURE and GROUND
This principle describes the relationship
between the foreground and the background
of an image.
The figure is the object in the foreground, and
the ground is the background.
A figure ground reversal is an image in which
the figure can also be seen as the ground,
and vice-versa. In the image on the left, is that
a white square on a black circle, or is it a
black circle with a square-shaped hole in it? Is
the white square the figure or the ground?

12. FIGURE GROUND REVERSAL

13. FIGURE GROUND REVERSAL

14. FIGURE GROUND REVERSAL

15. CLOSURE
Here comes your lazy brain, again! Which do you think is easier to process - a
bunch of short curved and straight lines, or a circle and a square? Your brain will
automatically fill in the gaps to make the images easier to deal with.

16. CLOSURE

17. CLOSURE

18. CLOSURE

19. FOCAL POINT
Now for the easiest Gestalt principle of all - the focal point! This one is so obvious
because the focal point is whatever grabs your attention the most.

20. FOCAL POINT

21. FOCAL POINT

22. FOCAL POINT

23. FOCAL POINT(S)
How many? Are the equally important?

24. FOCAL POINT
With leading lines.

25. FOCAL POINT
With leading lines.
Your brain loves to
follow lines. In this
example, the lines lead
to the focal point.

26. Similarity - Similar elements belong in a group.
Continuity - Lines are meant to be followed.
Common Region - Everything within a boundary is in a group.
Proximity - Things close together are in a group.
Simplicity - Find the simplest, most obvious answer.
Figure and Ground - Which object is in front, and which behind?
Closure - Fill in the gaps to make shapes understandable.
Focal Point - What is the most important point of the composition?
Principles of Gestalt (Your brain’s opinion.)