Gestalt Design Principles

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?