Gestalt principles are those rules that the human brain uses to make sense of the images we see. For instance, how do we perceive the tree in the yard? What allows us to distinguish it from the house and the grass? Gestalt is a word that German psychologists came up with to describe the field of psychology dealing with shape recognition.
One of the most important rules is the principle of closure. This principle states that our mind will connect the dots. Literally. If we see a series of dots..... our brains will interpret that not as random dots, but as a line. If those dots form a circle, we will see a circle. The principle goes well beyond dots. Any set of objects have this potential. Our mind tries to make sense by grouping objects and one of the ways is by closure. Our mind wants to create lines and shapes in order to take the randomness out of what we see.
Not only will the brain connect dots, it seeks out closure where ever it can find the opportunity. Consider the lowly brackets. Our mind understands that "[" and "]" belong together and that everything in between is subsumed within the object created by connecting those brackets. [That is why this works] but ] this doesn't [. Brackets that face away from each other aren't closed by our mind. They are just random brackets that don't belong together.
If this article doesn't convince you consider the world of advertising. Logos often take advantage of this principle to offer you images that are more than meets the eye. Check out the products in your pantry and you are likely to see several packages that employ this principle in their graphic design.
How about an application from everyday life. Remember those dashes in the middle of the road? We recognize them as a line without even thinking about it. It is natural. It is the way our brain works.
If you are involved in any form of design, these Gestalt principles are important to you. They are used everyday by artists, but they are also used by web designers. Architects should make use of them, but so should the guy designing highway signs. It may seem like it is just an academic exercise, but it can affect how much business your website receives and it can affect how nice your house looks. Either is sufficient reason for you to explore this subject.
Joffre Essley is a fan of architecture and all things related to the design of houses. He blogs at his website www.house-design-coffee.com.
There he focuses on what constitutes good design and why we like certain types of houses. He welcomes input from anyone with a like passion and interest.
He wrote a detailed article on gestalt principles at http://www.house-design-coffee.com/gestalt-principles.html. This gives some graphic examples and covers additional principles besides closure.
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