Gestalt theory

Gestalt theory is based on Gestalt’s guiding principles, a set of laws arising from the work of early 20th-century German psychologists Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Kohler.

 

Gestalt theory is based on the idea that the human brain will attempt to simplify and organize complex images or designs that consist of many elements by subconsciously arranging the parts into an organized system that creates a whole, rather than just a series of disparate elements.

 

The law of proximity suggests that the brain groups elements that are close together, and separates them from those that are farther apart. 

 The law of similarity speculates that the brain looks for differences and similarities in an image, and links the similar elements.

The law of continuity posits that the human eye will follow the smoothest path when viewing lines, regardless of how the lines were actually drawn.

 

The principle of closure posits that the brain, preferring complete shapes, fills in the missing parts of a design or image to create a whole,

 

As in the closure principle, the figure/ground principle takes advantage of the way the brain processes negative space.

The law of common fate observes that when objects point in the same direction, we see them as a related group.

 

The law of symmetry, or prägnanz, the German word for “good figure” posits that the brain perceives ambiguous shapes in the simplest way possible.

For example, a monochrome version of the Olympic logo is seen as a series of overlapping circles rather than a collection of curved lines.