Gestalt Theory

Reading Summary

Gestalt theory refers to a series of laws that describe how our brains perceive objects. Of the laws, four are relevant to design. The rule of proximity states that objects that are close together tend to be in the same group. The rule of similarity states that we group things with other similar things. The rule of continuity states that we continue patterns past their natural ends and that our eyes will naturally follow lines. The rule of closure states that we automatically make shapes out of white space.
In addition to Gestalt theory, we can make more dynamic designs by adding hierarchy, which entails emphasizing some details and hiding others so that readers can discern what is most important on the page. Examples of hierarchy can most often be found in newspapers. Newspapers follow a modular, or rectangle, page design and are accompanied by their own set of rules. To keep a newspaper looking clean and easy to follow, pay attention to the rules regarding the body copy, headline, deck, byline, photos, and cut-line.

Outside Example

When reading about visual hierarchy, I thought about how important it is for sports and games to display key information in a clear manner.

This screenshot from a professional League of Legends game. There is a great deal of information on display here: team names and player names, champion icons, how much gold each team has, the number of kills in the match, etc..

Reading Connection

Though there is a lot of information, it all largely follows the hierarchy of visual design. The game itself is front and center, which is where a viewer’s eyes would be most of the time. Important game dialogue, such as an objective being destroyed, is also front and center. For someone familiar with the game, it is easy to see where the key information is and what is being presented. For someone unfamiliar with the game, they may still get a sense of what is important based on what information is on display. For instance, though you may not know what the big 6 and 1 means at the top center of the screen, you can see that the Blue team is winning.