Gestalt

Principles

What does Gestalt mean?

Gestalt , loosely translated into English, means shape or

form
What do you see in this
picture?
 Octavio Ocampo

In an image, we can study the relationship between its elements, separately

or together, to develop the message we want to transmit to the receiver.
 Octavio Ocampo

The whole is greater than the sum of the

parts
This phrase is often used when explaining Gestalt principles.
 Octavio Ocampo

What do you perceive in this

picture?
We have to consider not just the single element but how the totality
is perceived.
Thats how we can define the Gestalt Principles, a matter of perception.
 Octavio Ocampo

Gestalt Principles are about perception and

reality.
 X
What do you see in this
picture?
 Have you seen the letter X or four lines?
Surely everyone has seen the same: the letter X

Why?
Because we tend to see shapes as simple as possible

Gestalt principles help us understand the way we

see.
 A great example of that is the well-known painting Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea
by SalvatorDal. Dal painted a portrait of his wife Gala's back. If you walk away twenty meters
you can see a portrait of Abraham Lincoln

Principles of Gestalt can be helpful to find out how visual

perceiving works and why some images work better than others.
So we are going to see

what the Gestalt Laws are,

which are its rules and
why they are so important for designers.

The close relationship between Gestalt Principles &

Design
 Why are Gestalt Laws so important?

Gestalt Principles can really help in focusing attention

and organizing contents in an effective way.
The main Gestalt Laws
are:

Law of Proximity Law of

Similarity.
Law of Figure and Ground.
Law of Continuity
Law of Closure Law of
Simplicity
Law of Proximity
Elements that are placed close to each other will often
be perceiced as one group.

When the dots are placed close to each other in groups, we

tend to perceive 3 columns rather than a whole group of
dots.
Law of Proximity
Elements that are placed close to each other will often
be perceived as one group.
Law of Proximity
Elements that are placed close to each other will often
be perceived as one group.
Law of Proximity applied to real design.
Elements that are placed close to each other will often
be perceived as one group.

This is Mystery Island's logo, created by Gert van Duinen. In an easy and brilliant
way the designer uses the proximity law to create a shape of an island and its
reflection on the sea. This is the perfect combination of the brand name and the
customer activity, dance music producer. The lines creating the island are clearly
recognizable as equalizer lines.
Law of Proximity applied to real design.
Elements that are placed close to each other will often
be perceived as one group.

Again, in the Foodmobile logo (Designer: ru_ferret) we can see a group of

single objects, representing types of food (bread, fish, vegetables are
clearly recognizable) which, grouped for proximity, create a car shape.
 Law of Similarity
Objects that look alike, with similar components or attributes, are
more likely to be organized together.

Objects are viewed in vertical rows

because of their similar attributes.
 Law of Similarity
Objects that look alike, with similar components or attributes, are
more likely to be organized together.
 Law of Similarity
Objects that look alike, with similar components or attributes, are
more likely to be organized together.

The visual part of the Capture logo (created by Quadrika) shares with the
textual part a kind of viewfinder which is the same of the C and E letters.
 Law of Continuity
Objects will be grouped as a whole if they are co-linear,
or follow a direction

For example, these dots arranged

in a line are considered In the image above we perceive a long
related elements. line created from the lighter dots. On the
other hand, the line created from the
darker dots is perceived as interrupted.
 Law of Continuity
Objects will be grouped as a whole if they are co-linear,
or follow a direction
 Law of Continuity
Objects will be grouped as a whole if they are co-linear,
or follow a direction
Law of Continuity applied to real
Objects will be grouped as design.
a whole if they are co-linear, or follow
a direction

We can read the letters in

the background but we imagine that
it's the same word as in the
foreground.
Law of Figure and
Viewers will perceive an object (figure) and a surface (ground)
Ground
even in shapes are grouped together.
Law of Figure and
Viewers will perceive an object (figure) and a surface (ground)
Ground
even in shapes are grouped together.
Law of Figure and
Viewers will perceive an object (figure) and a surface (ground) even in shapes
Ground
are grouped together.
Law of Figure and Ground applied to real
design.

By following the Figure-Ground Law in the Feathers & Fur logo,

designed for a pet store from Lumo, the observer can recognize
a parrot and a dogs face into the mark.
Law of Figure and Ground applied to real
Viewers will perceive an object (figure) and a surface (ground) even in shapes
design.
are grouped together.
Law of Closure
In perception there is the tendency to complete unfinished
objects. We tend to ignore gaps and complete contour lines.
Law of Closure
In perception there is the tendency to complete unfinished
objects. We tend to ignore gaps and complete contour lines.
Law of Closure applied to real design.
In perception there is the tendency to complete unfinished objects. We
tend to ignore gaps and complete contour lines.

An extremely famous logo based on closure is the WWF

Panda
Law of Closure applied to real design.
In perception there is the tendency to complete unfinished
objects. We tend to ignore gaps and complete contour lines.
.

The IBM logo, composed by eight solid lines separated by empty space,
is based on closure law. The three letters are not really there. Our brain
perceives them by closing the letters shape.
Law of Pragnanz or Simplicity
Figures are seen as their simple elements instead of
complicated shapes.
Law of Pragnanz or Simplicity applied to real design.
Figures are seen as their simple elements instead of complicated
shapes.
End