No. 042
Visual Design
Gestalt Principles
Gestalt principles describe how people naturally perceive groups and patterns — seeing the whole rather than separate parts.
Why it matters
These principles explain why certain layouts feel organized and others feel chaotic, giving designers reliable rules for grouping content.
In depth
Key principles include proximity, similarity, continuity, closure, and figure-ground. They come from early-20th-century psychology and remain practical tools for structuring interfaces so the eye groups elements the way the designer intends.
Real-world example
Items placed close together (proximity) are read as a group, which is why related form fields are spaced near each other.
Related terms