Gestalt theory describes principles of visual perception including similarity, continuation, closure, proximity, and figure/ground. It proposes that people tend to group visual elements together to perceive unified wholes. Some key principles are that similarity causes objects to be seen as groups, continuation causes the eye to follow lines or curves, and proximity causes elements placed close together to be seen as groups.

1. Gestalt Theory and
Design
●Psychology term meaning "unified whole".
●Theories of visual perception developed by German psychologists in the
1920s.
●Describes how people tend to organize visual elements into groups.

2. The Principles: Similarity
●Occurs when objects look similar to one another
●People perceive them as a group or pattern.

3. The Principles: Similarity
●Occurs when objects look similar to one another
●People perceive them as a group or pattern.

4. The Principles: Similarity
●Occurs when objects look similar to one another
●People perceive them as a group or pattern.
●An object can be emphasized by being dissimilar from others.
●This is called “Anomaly”.

5. The Principles: Continuation
●Occurs when the eye is compelled to move through one shape to another

6. The Principles: Continuation
●Occurs when the eye is compelled to move through one shape to another.
●The viewer's eye will naturally follow a line or curve.

7. The Principles: Closure
●Occurs when an object is incomplete or a space not completely enclosed
●People fill in the missing information, perceiving the whole.
●Viewer's perception completes the shape.

8. The Principles: Closure
●Occurs when an object is incomplete or a space not completely enclosed
●People fill in the missing information, perceiving the whole.
●Viewer's perception completes the shape.

9. The Principles: Closure
●Occurs when an object is incomplete or a space not completely enclosed
●People fill in the missing information, perceiving the whole.
●Viewer's perception completes the shape.

10. The Principles: Proximity
●When elements are placed close together, we perceive them as a group.

11. The Principles: Proximity
●When elements are placed close together, we perceive them as a group.
●Without proximity, nine individual squares.

12. The Principles: Proximity
●When elements are placed close together, we perceive them as a group.
●Without proximity, nine individual squares.
●With proximity, a large square made of smaller squares.

13. The Principles: Proximity
●When elements are placed close together, we perceive them as a group.
●Without proximity, nine individual squares.
●With proximity, a large square made of smaller squares.

14. The Principles: Figure/Ground
●Eye differentiates an object from surrounding area.
●Form or shape is perceived as a figure, surrounding area as ground.

15. The Principles: Figure/Ground
●Eye differentiates an object from surrounding area.
●Form or shape is perceived as a figure, surrounding area as ground.

16. The Principles: Figure/Ground
●Eye differentiates an object from surrounding area.
●Form or shape is perceived as a figure, surrounding area as ground.

17. The Principles: Final
Thoughts
●Principles aren't isolated; frequently there is more than one being used.
●Look for them as you go about your day; in print, broadcast, on the web. The
more you notice them, the quicker they will become second nature to you.
●Ask questions – is this the best use of a given principle? How could it be
improved upon?