Gestalt Principles

GESTALT PRINCIPLES of visual perception refer to the numerous ways in which we organize the elements in our visual field by grouping them into the perception of a whole, complete form, usually in the simplest possible way. It’s perceptual organization based on the theory that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

• Figure-ground organization; involves separating an object as the centre of one’s focus (figure), which is detailed and contoured, from other stimuli than then form the background (ground), which is plainer and less distinct. (eg. the STOP sign, the letters on the stop sign are written in white to stand out as the figure against a contrasting red background)

• Closure; involves the process of mentally completing a visually incomplete object by subjectively filling in any gaps or missing contours to perceive a whole form.

(eg. The IBM logo which is made up of parallel lines, but individuals fills in the gaps to form contours thereby perceive the whole letters in the logo)

• Similarity; involves the tendency to organize the elements of a stimulus pattern which have features that are alike, such as size, shape, brightness or colour in order to group them together to form a meaningful whole image

(eg. Distinguishing different schools according to the uniforms)

• Proximity aka nearness; is the tendency to perceive parts of a visual stimulus that are positioned close together as belonging together in a group. That is individuals group those elements together into a whole based on the physical nearness to one another.

(eg. Several series of letters located in close proximity to each other will be perceptually grouped and interpreted as words)