Gestalt Principles

Creative Bloq. 2017. The designer's guide to Gestalt Theory. (ONLINE) Available at: http://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design/gestalt-theory-10134960 (Accessed 30 October 2017)

What is Gestalt Theory?

• Gestalt principles "refer to the way in which humans, when looking at a group of objects, will see the whole before we see the individual parts" 
• "If you collect together your design elements in a visual arrangement using one of the various approaches...your design will feel more connected, coherent and complete." 
• Prominent founders - Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kohler and Kurt Koffka. 
• Came to prominence thanks to Arnheim's book "Art and Visual Perception". 

01. Similarity

• When elements of an image look similar to each other due to their shape, colour, size, texture or value. 
• "This effect can be used to create a single illustration, image or message from a series of separate elements."
• "The more commonality that individual elements have, the greater the sense of coherence" (links to ideas of visual unity). 

Example:

02. Continuation

• "Continuation is the principle through which the eye is drawn along a path, line or curve, preferring to see a single continuous figure than separate lines. This can be used to point towards another element in the composition." 

03. Closure

• "Closure works where an object is incomplete or the interior space of an element is not fully closed, but the viewer perceives a complete shape by filling in the missing information."

Example: 

04. Proximity

• "Proximity uses the close arrangement of elements to create a group association between those objects. If individual elements are also similar, they will tend to be perceived as a single whole, even though they are separate elements."

Example:

"The arrangement of boxes on the left are not close enough to have proximity, while the group on the right is perceived as a single whole element."

05. Figure & Ground 

• "This principle describes the eye's tendency to see and separate objects from their surrounding background." "It works because human eyes want to see the figure (foreground object) and background (ground) as two different planes of focus."

Example: 

Sky and Water (1938) by MC Escher

06. Symmetry and order

• "This principle says that a composition should not provide a sense of disorder or imbalance, as otherwise the viewer will waste time trying to locate the missing element, or fix the problem, rather than focusing on the message or instruction."
• Symmetry 'provides the viewer with a feeling of harmony."