The Gestalt Principles are elements of visual design that aid to the illusion of visual perception. They allow us to make mental images and impose meanings in our minds. They include Proximity, Similarity, Continuance, Closure, and Figure-Ground. The following images are examples of those principles.
Proximity
This image, taken from Total Film Magazine, is an example of proximity because it involves multiple layers of words and numbers placed together to form a new shape. The "By-The-Numbers" facts about the film Jaws form to create a shape similar to that of the title shark from the famous movie poster. They curve together at the top, much like the shark's nose; plus, they have proximity by appearing close together, and form a new group.
This advertisement for LastExitToNowhere.com, from the same magazine as above, is also a strong example of proximity. If you look closely, you can see that each of the lines are actually several smaller images of the product (t-shirts and clothes design). Even though the images are quite different, they all form together to make a coherent shape of t-shirt designs. The proximity is enhanced by similar colors and word fonts.
Similarity
Similarity occurs when objects that appear to be similar are grouped in the viewer's mind. A hierarchy is formed in this table of contents from a magazine special on James Bond's 50th Anniversary. A hierarchy is formed by the images above the table of contents because there are two clear groups of levels on the page. By placing the images above and together against the wordy table, the viewer naturally looks towards the top of the page. Each half of the page is naturally grouped together by the viewer.
In addition, this image, a PR Resume Wheel from Sylvia Maria Presley, has clear levels of shapes that are grouped together by the viewer. Each of the words is split in half by the coffee cups, and the symmetry of the page demonstrates the split between "The Past" and "The Present". Groups are formed by the four quarters, as well as the similar background color of each of these quarters.
Continuance
The next Gestalt Principle is Continuance, which basically describes that sensations are grouped into directions when the viewer sees an image with motion based on position. For example, in this ad on the back of the Bond 50 magazine, the 007 logo brings the viewer down the page and to the right so that they can see the Ian Fleming quote. The color and positioning of the logo demonstrate continuance.
Much like the previous Bond example, this Samsung ad from Empire Magazine shows continuance because the chocolate music note leads the viewer naturally down the page into the stereo. This leads to the mental meaning of sweet, savory music smoothly blending (like chocolate) into the stereo system. This meaning can be greatly attributed to the continuance in the image.
Closure
When I think of closure, my mind immediately turns to the USA Network logo. Through proximity, similarity, and continuance, closure and a sense of completion is completed in the viewers mind. We assume we know the shapes of objects based on context images close to it. For the USA Network logo, The shape of the "U" and "A" is awkward and almost incomplete when separated. However, when placed close together, they form an "S" from their tails and extensions. This is the perfect example of the Gestalt principle of closure.
Much like the USA logo, this clock from a book about D.C.'s Union Station assumes that viewers know certain shapes. Although the clock is not fully seen on the page, readers can assume that this shape will be a clock based on clues of numbers and second spots on the circle (even though, in reality, we don't know it will be a circle- we assume this as well). The photograph shows how we naturally perceive objects in certain ways based on our human desire to end shapes.
Figure-Ground
Size and placement affect the perception of an object based on the concept of figure-ground, which also details that the area surrounding the object affects what we see. In this Snapdragon ad in Empire Magazine, the placement of the dragon eye in the phone draws in the viewer. But, when we look at the surroundings of the eye, we see a phone, implying that the figure-ground shows how snapdragon involves clear images made on a phone. All of this can be accredited to the visual design.
Another example of figure-ground appears on this back cover of the Union Station D.C. book. Depending on how you look at the picture, a viewer can see either the center post of the station, or the trains speeding by. Much like the famous image of the vase and faces, this Union Station picture shows dual meanings based on where you look.
The Gestalt Principles are important to understanding visual perception, and these images are all clear examples of these ideas.
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