The Gestalt Principles

Designing for the Human Mind

The Gestalt Principles provide a holistic description of how humans perceive the world. German psychologists discovered that the visual system imposes structure on visual input to see shapes, figures, and whole objects. “Gestalt” is the German word for Shape. There are seven principles that describe how the mind perceives visual input: Similarity, Proximity, Continuity, Closure, Symmetry, Figure/Ground, and Common Fate.

Similarity

Elements that look similar appear grouped.

Proximity

Objects in close proximity appear grouped.

Continuity

We perceive continuous form. In the example below, we can imagine the black lines connecting beneath the white circle.

Closure

We perceive closed form to see whole objects.

Symmetry

The natural organization of information into a symmetrical pattern.

Figure/Ground

Figures appear in the foreground because of the contrast from the background.

Common Fate

Objects that move together appear grouped.

The seven Gestalt Principles (Similarity, Proximity, Continuity, Closure, Symmetry, Figure/Ground, and Common Fate) describe how humans perceive visual input. Understanding these principles provides insight into how we perceive the world around us.