The Gestalt Principles of Graphic Design OKC
Any graphic design OKC project involves more than putting together words, colors, and images. Designers go through a specific and thorough process to ensure that each project fits their branding guidelines and appeals to a specific audience. To do this, many designers consider the Gestalt Principles of design.
WHAT IS GESTALT?
Gestalt psychology began in the early 20th century to study the way people perceive things visually. According to Gestalt theory, when we see a group of objects, we understand them as a whole before we look into the individual parts — we simplify and organize things in our minds to help us understand what we see. Gestalt theory applies to the way we visualize and understand elements of Oklahoma design.
6 Gestalt Principles of Oklahoma Design:
1. SIMILARITY
According to this principle, when elements have shared characteristics, we assume they belong together. For example, your audience can recognize your brand elements because they use consistent colors and fonts. Designers may also purposefully avoid the similarity principle. For example, your website’s call to action should stand out from other objects on the page (however, it still needs to fit your branding).
2. PROXIMITY
This principle references how close elements of a design are to each other and how this shows their relationship. In web design, proximity groups content together without obvious borders. Designers also use this principle for logos, as shown in the logo for Sisemore & Associates. Because people look at objects as a whole before looking at the individual parts, the three separate pieces make one cohesive image.
3. CONTINUITY
This principle considers how we see continuous and unbroken paths. When our eyes follow a line or curve, we assume that the objects on that path are related. Designers use this when planning a website’s order of information, so users do not have to search for content. They may also break continuity to make a logo or part of the website stand out.
4. CLOSURE
The closure principle works on the idea that your mind will fill in an image’s missing parts to make it whole. Closure is prominent in minimal design, especially for logos. For example, the logo for White Willow Designs has a visible “W.” However, this area is actually blank. If the logo is used as a graphic or embroidered on a shirt, only the parts around it would be printed.
5. FIGURE/GROUND
This principle involves how our minds separate an image’s foreground object (figure) from the background. Similar to closure, it utilizes the way that our brains process negative space. Because the principle considers our natural perception of objects, designers utilize it to create a sense of the spatial relationships between objects without having to state them directly. It can also be used to make optical illusions.
6. SYMMETRY AND ORDER
As Gestalt theory states, people organize and simplify objects to make sense of them. If an image feels disordered or imbalanced, a viewer may spend more time trying to understand it than actually focusing on the message. Symmetrical and well-organized elements are perceived as a unified group, so considering this principle ensures that people understand your design in the way they are meant to.
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