![]() ![]() If a link color is blue on one page, but orange on another, users will have trouble differentiating what text type is a link versus an accent color, highlighted text, and the like. Users not only consume a website's or app's content, but they also learn how to navigate through it based on visual cues. The rule here is to keep link and button styles consistent. The old standard used to be blue, underlined text, but that has since changed to accommodate unique styling based on a design. Usually, links are styled differently from the rest of the content, but each are styled similarly. One example of similarity when applied to web design is the usage of link colors. When viewing a group of objects, elements sharing the same characteristics as mentioned above are perceived as being related. ![]() This statement sounds obvious, but it can be manipulated in various ways.Ĭharacteristics that can be potentially manipulated are: With the principle of similarity, elements that share similar characteristics are perceived as more related than elements that do not share those characteristics. In the principle of convexity, convex patterns tend to be perceived as figures more than concave patterns. In the principle of area, the smaller of two overlapping objects is commonly interpreted as figure, while the larger object is interpreted as ground. Area & ConvexityĪrea and Convexity can further define the differences between figure and ground. The easier it is for a user to distinguish between what elements are figure and what elements are ground, the better their user experience, as the elements are not creating unwanted noise or confusion within a design. This is mostly a subconscious thought, unless a designer is purposely trying to create a juxtaposition between the two. When users are looking at designs, one of the first things they will do is determine what elements are figure and what is ground. The two examples above leave us with a sense of confusion, as we are not sure which item is figure and which is ground. To others, it may be two faces facing each other over a gray background. What do you see first? To some, it may seem like an ordinary vase. The classic Rubin vase illusion of face profiles versus a vase is a great example of figure vs ground. We have a tendency to see the figure as positioned in the front, and the ground at a further depth plane that continues to extend behind the figure. ![]() When we were surviving on the plains of Africa, our vision helped us to spot potential prey or to narrowly escape our potential predators.Ī form, silhouette, or shape is inherently perceived as figure (object), while the area surrounding it is perceived as ground (background). If you think about it, it's an evolutionary advantage. Our eyes try to differentiate an object from its surrounding area. Let this be a brief introduction to greater understanding. All of these principles can be summarized in a few sentences, but the detailed theory behind them can be explored endlessly, should you desire to do so. Below are the various principles the Gestalt theory covers. In fact, many principles that come from the Gestalt theory can be applied to all forms of art and design, from painting to photography, digital design to architecture, and good old fashioned print design.Īs consumers of various user interfaces (UIs) on a day-to-day basis, we tend to view these UIs as a whole before we see the individual elements that make up the entire interface. It helps us to think about our compositions in ways that we have not imagined them before. The Gestalt theory can spark new light when it comes to design. It was first introduced in a ground-breaking paper by Max Wertheimer in 1923, an Austro-Hungarian-born psychologist, and was further developed by German psychologists Wolfgang Kohler, Kurt Koffka, and others. By definition, it can be translated from German to mean "shape" or "form." In theory, Gestalt is a term most commonly used in psychology that means "unified whole." You may have heard of the phrase, "the whole is more than the sum of its parts." For a while, this theory perplexed me, until I learned more about the Gestalt theory. His work is timeless, and I think all designers can learn to better themselves by simply digging a little deeper into Kandinsky's work and processes.Įarlier I mentioned the Gestalt Principles. He knew how to harness the power of the principles to create an art piece that truly sang to me, as if notes from a sheet of music were somehow translated into geometric lines, shapes, and forms onto canvas. Kandinsky was a master of the Gestalt principles, whether he himself realized it or not. ![]()
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