First of all, Gestalt psychology was founded by German thinkers Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kohler, and Kurt Koffka and focused on how people interpret the world. The Gestalt Principles can help you to understand how people will interpret and navigate your work. These principles state that our minds have a tendency to group and organize elements and do so in predictable ways.
Gestalt principles are everywhere when you look at software apps.
- Proximity
- Similarity
- Continuity
- Closure
- Connectedness
Proximity
We tend to perceive elements as a group when they are close to each other.
Similarity
We’re inclined to group elements that look like each other. For example, we tend to group the same colors together.
Continuity
Ever notice how your eyes like to travel along lines, following and flowing with them? Our mind has a tendency to follow paths and group elements that are aligned with each other.
Closure
Given the chance, our mind will opt for simplicity. Since a whole is easier to process than multiple parts, we’ll fill in the gaps or connect the dots to complete implied shapes or images.
Connectedness
Connectedness states that we tend to group elements when they are connected to each other.