Gestalt Principles

Autumn 2025

Gestalt Laws

How does one organize visual information?

Gestalt Laws

How does one organize visual information?
Gestalt: shape/form, how we assemble visual objects into a more uni ed whole

Similarity

Objects that look alike are perceived as being related.

Similarity

Objects that look alike are perceived as being related.

Similarity

Objects that look alike are perceived as being related.

Implications:

- How should we visually encode nominal data?

Proximity

Objects that are in close spatial proximity are perceived as belonging together.

Proximity

Objects that are in close spatial proximity are perceived as belonging together.
How do you group?

Proximity

Objects that are in close spatial proximity are perceived as belonging together.
How do you group?

Closure

Objects that are composed by a set of elements which do not actually touch each other.

Closure

Objects that are composed by a set of elements which do not actually touch each other.

Enclosure

Objects that are bound by a common region perceived as belonging together.

Enclosure

Objects that are bound by a common region perceived as belonging together.

Enclosure

Objects that are bound by a common region perceived as belonging together.

Implications:

- Ensure sufficient discrimination between your plots.  
- Don’t let marks “float in space”.

Connectedness

Objects that are visually connected in some form are perceived as related.

Connectedness

Objects that are visually connected in some form are perceived as related.

Connectedness

Objects that are visually connected in some form are perceived as related.

Implications:

- Encode graph, networks, clusters, or groups in general.

Continuity

Objects that are perceive as a single uninterrupted object when intersect.

Continuity

Objects that are perceive as a single uninterrupted object when intersect.

Intensity vs perception

Some features are more visible by humans

Summary

Among others …

References

Great example of Interaction designs!