Gestalt Principles of Perception:
1 – Figure Ground Relationships
December 9, 2008
Almost everything that makes graphic design work can be found in a set of laws and principles collectively known as the Gestalt principles of perception. There is no more powerful tool at a designer’s disposal than a comprehensive grasp of these principles. By the same token, those who don’t have a good grasp of them are lost when faced with design projects and often go “fishing” on design gallery sites, being relegated to cliché motifs and layouts. But clients deserve better than our vague understanding. If you haven’t already, resolve to learn the Gestalt principles of perception.
Why learn this stuff? At the risk of sounding like a late night TV …ver más…

Good Continuation
Elements arranged on a line or curve are perceived to be more related than elements not on the line or curve.
Closure
When looking at a complex arrangement of individual elements, humans tend to first look for a single, recognizable pattern.
Common Fate
Humans tend to perceive elements moving in the same direction as being more related than elements that are stationary or that move in different directions.
Proximity
Things that are close to one another are perceived to be more related than things that are spaced farther apart.
Similarity
Things that are similar are perceived to be more related than things that are dissimilar.
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You’ll notice that most of these principles seem to be variations of each other and are otherwise closely related. There’s good reason for this, as they all refer to relationships. Human perception is governed by relationships; how things are similar or dissimilar, how they contrast or blend with one another, and how arrangements of things suggest hierarchies and are affected by context.
For designers, that last sentence pretty much sums up much of what you deal with in your job so it might be nice to get a handle on this stuff. Let’s dive in and learn how to make Gestalt principles work for your designs.
Figure ground relationship
Elements are