How To Apply Gestalt Psychology Principles in Data Visualization

Gestalt principles are in the mind, not the eye

Some of the extracts of 2020 Ironvizzes. Viz by the respective owner, image source from the blog of Will Sutton.

Aoccdrnig to rseearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. — Abeer Hasanin 2015–2016

Data visualization is not just about depicting data into understandable and good-looking charts. Becoming good in data visualization requires the acquisition of foundational knowledge. Understanding why specific data visualization techniques work better than others has psychological roots. Whether you are aware of it or not, you can apply various psychological principles every time you create a visualization.

Note: The number of Gestalt principles vary by literature. Here are the five that I found applicable to data visualization.

Gestalt is an influential human psychology theory, developed by German psychologists, Max Wertheimer (1880–1943), and his colleagues, Kurt Koffka (1886–1941) and Wolfgang Kohler (1887- 1967), in the early 20th century.