Gestalt design principles

Gestalt principles overview

The gestalt design principles are a set of guidelines for creating visually pleasing and effective designs. They are based on the gestalt psychology, which suggests that the human mind tends to perceive objects in a holistic way rather than as a collection of individual parts.

7 Gestalt principles

The gestalt principles are:

1. Proximity: Objects that are close to each other are perceived as being related.
2. Similarity: Objects that are similar in shape, size, or color are perceived as belonging together.
3. Continuation: The human eye tends to follow a path or a line in a design.
4. Closure: The human mind tends to complete incomplete shapes and figures.
5. Symmetry: Symmetrical designs are perceived as being more stable and harmonious.
6. Figure-ground: The mind organizes visual elements into two categories: the figure (the object of focus) and the ground (the background or surrounding area).
7. Simplicity: Simple designs are usually more effective and easier to understand than complex ones.

By applying these principles, designers can create designs that are more visually pleasing and easy to understand.

Who & when

The gestalt design principles were developed in the early 20th century by a group of German psychologists known as the gestaltists. They were influenced by the work of the philosopher Immanuel Kant and the psychologist Wilhelm Wundt. The gestaltists believed that the human mind organizes visual information into holistic patterns or “gestalts” rather than individual elements.

The gestalt design principles were first applied to graphic design in the 1920s and 1930s by a group of German graphic designers known as the Bauhaus school. They aimed to create designs that were simple, functional, and visually pleasing. The Bauhaus designers applied the gestalt principles to create designs that were easy to understand and that conveyed the intended message effectively.

After World War II, the gestalt design principles were adopted by American graphic designers, and they became an important part of graphic design education in the United States. Today, the gestalt principles are widely used by graphic designers, and they continue to be an important part of design education.

It’s worth noting that the gestalt principles are not just used in graphic design but in many fields such as psychology, cognitive science, and product design, as they are fundamental principles of perception and human cognition.