The Gestalt Principles | Basics for Beginners
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the fundamental principles of Gestalt psychology as applied to design, explaining how people perceive relationships between elements rather than individual components. It covers six main principles: continuation, closure, similarity, proximity, symmetry, and figure and ground, using examples like the Olympic rings and various logos to illustrate how these principles guide the viewer's eye and create a unified whole, emphasizing the Gestalt concept that the whole is different from the sum of its parts.
Takeaways
- 📚 Gestalt principles are based on the psychology theory that people organize visual elements into groups and perceive relationships between them rather than seeing individual elements in isolation.
- 🔍 The term 'Gestalt' translates to 'unified whole' and originated from German psychology in the 1920s, emphasizing that the whole is different from the sum of its parts, not just greater.
- 👀 Gestalt principles suggest that humans perceive objects in their simplest form, such as seeing five interlocking Olympic rings rather than the individual lines that make them up.
- 🛣️ Humans naturally follow lines or curves, perceiving them as single elements even when they are technically separate shapes.
- 🧩 The mind will attempt to fill in details that aren't actually present, a concept known as closure, where the brain completes the shape based on the information given.
- 🔄 Continuation is a principle where the eye is compelled to move through one object or element into another, often used in typography and logos to guide the viewer's gaze.
- 🔍 Closure is observed when the mind fills in incomplete elements to perceive a whole shape, as seen in logos like WWF where the panda's head is implied but not fully drawn.
- 👫 Similarity in design elements, such as color, shape, or texture, leads the viewer to perceive objects as a group or pattern, even without direct relationships.
- 📍 Proximity is key in Gestalt theory; elements that are close to each other are perceived as related, influencing how we understand the composition of a design.
- 🪞 Symmetry in design elements can imply a relationship, as seen in logos like Starbucks, where the mirror image of elements creates a sense of balance and unity.
- 🎨 Figure and ground is the principle where the human eye differentiates between objects (figure) and their backgrounds (ground), a powerful tool in design for creating focus and depth.
Q & A
What is the Gestalt psychology term and what does it hypothesize?
-Gestalt is a term from psychology that hypothesizes people tend to organize visual elements into groups, perceiving relationships between elements rather than seeing them as separate entities.
What does the term 'Gestalt' literally translate to and when was the theory developed?
-The term 'Gestalt' literally translates to 'unified whole.' The theory was developed by German psychologists in the 1920s.
According to the script, why do we perceive two circles of the same color and size placed next to each other as having a relationship?
-We perceive two circles of the same color and size as having a relationship due to the Gestalt principle, which suggests that we organize elements into groups and see the relationships between them.
What is the first rule of Gestalt theory mentioned in the script?
-The first rule of Gestalt theory mentioned is that we perceive objects in their simplest form, not as individual shapes but as a whole.
Can you explain the concept of 'continuation' in Gestalt theory using the script's example?
-Continuation in Gestalt theory refers to the perception of the eye being compelled to move through one object or element and into another. For example, the ProQuest logo uses continuation as the serif on the 'Q' sweeps out, guiding the viewer's eye downwards.
What is 'closure' in Gestalt theory and how is it exemplified in the script?
-Closure in Gestalt theory is when the mind fills in the missing parts of an incomplete shape, perceiving it as a finished shape. The script exemplifies this with the WWF logo, where the mind perceives the rest of the panda's head despite it not being physically present.
How does the script describe the principle of 'similarity' in Gestalt theory?
-The script describes similarity as a principle where objects that look the same are perceived as a group or pattern, regardless of other relationships. This can be in color, shape, texture, or any design element.
What is 'anomaly' in the context of Gestalt theory and how does it create emphasis?
-Anomaly in Gestalt theory refers to an object that is made different from a pattern of similar objects, creating emphasis and drawing the eye. The script shows this with a grid of green squares and a rotated blue one, which stands out.
How does the script define 'proximity' in Gestalt theory and give an example?
-Proximity in Gestalt theory is defined as the perception of a relationship between elements based on their closeness to each other. An example given in the script is the grouping of dots, where proximity makes them appear as separate elements or as a single element.
What is 'symmetry' in Gestalt theory and how does it imply relationships between elements?
-Symmetry in Gestalt theory is when elements are identical to each other over a mirrored line, implying a relationship. The script mentions the Starbucks logo as an example of vertical symmetry.
Can you explain the concept of 'figure and ground' in Gestalt theory as described in the script?
-Figure and ground in Gestalt theory is the concept where the human eye differentiates objects (figure) from backgrounds (ground). The script describes this with examples such as a Batman silhouette against a background, which can be reversed to show the penguin as the figure.
Outlines
🔍 Introduction to Gestalt Principles
The video introduces the topic of Gestalt principles, a psychology term hypothesizing that people tend to organize elements into groups. The concept, developed by German psychologists in the 1920s, suggests that we perceive relationships between elements rather than seeing them individually. The Olympic rings are used as an example to explain how we perceive complex shapes in their simplest form. The narrator mentions that humans naturally follow lines or curves and the mind fills in details that aren't explicitly there. This sets the stage for understanding Gestalt principles in design.
🌱 Understanding Continuation in Gestalt Theory
This section explains the principle of continuation, where the eye is compelled to move through one object to another. Examples like the ProQuest and Amazon logos illustrate how design elements guide the viewer's eye. The principle is often used in typography and logos, creating a visual relationship between different parts of a design. Continuation emphasizes smooth transitions and implied connections between elements.
🕵️ Exploring Closure in Design
Closure is described as the mind's ability to fill in missing information in incomplete elements. Examples include the WWF logo and the EA logo, where parts of the design are missing but the viewer perceives them as complete. This principle leverages the viewer's familiarity with shapes and patterns to imply relationships and complete the design in their mind.
🔍 Delving into Similarity and Anomaly
Similarity occurs when objects look the same, creating a perceived group or pattern. Examples like the NBC logo and foliage patterns demonstrate this principle. The concept of anomaly is also introduced, where a distinct element within a pattern draws attention by breaking the similarity. This creates emphasis and highlights the unique element in the design.
📍 Proximity in Gestalt Design
Proximity is about the spatial relationship between elements. When objects are close to each other, they are perceived as related. Examples include grouped dots and the Unilever logo, where proximity creates a sense of unity. This principle is fundamental in establishing visual connections between elements based solely on their placement.
🔄 Symmetry and Its Impact
Symmetry involves elements that are identical across a mirror axis, creating a balanced and harmonious design. Examples include the Starbucks and Nintendo Switch logos, where symmetry suggests a strong relationship between parts. The video also touches on the lack of symmetry and how it implies a lack of relationship, highlighting the importance of visual balance in design.
🔲 Figure and Ground: Differentiating Objects and Backgrounds
Figure and ground refer to the differentiation between an object (figure) and its background (ground). Examples like the Batman and Penguin silhouettes illustrate how the mind separates and focuses on elements. This principle plays a crucial role in creating clear and compelling designs by establishing a visual hierarchy between the main subject and its background.
📚 Summary and Further Learning
The video concludes by summarizing the key Gestalt principles: continuation, similarity, closure, proximity, symmetry, and figure-ground. It encourages viewers to explore these principles further, as they form the foundation of effective design. The narrator invites viewers to share their designs on Discord for feedback and emphasizes the value of understanding these principles for creating visually appealing and functional designs.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Gestalt Principles
💡Perception
💡Closure
💡Continuation
💡Similarity
💡Proximity
💡Symmetry
💡Figure and Ground
💡Anomaly
💡Visual Weight
Highlights
Introduction to Gestalt principles and their significance in design psychology.
Explanation of how Gestalt principles help perceive relationships between design elements.
Definition of the first rule: objects are perceived in their simplest form.
Example of Olympic rings illustrating perception of interlocking circles instead of individual shapes.
Humans naturally follow lines or curves, demonstrated through examples like roundabouts.
The mind attempts to fill in detail where information is implied but not present.
Gestalt theory proposes that the whole is different from the sum of its parts, correcting the common mistranslation.
Introduction to the six main Gestalt principles: continuation, similarity, closure, proximity, symmetry, and figure and ground.
Continuation: the eye is compelled to move through one element to another, with examples like the Amazon logo.
Closure: the mind fills in gaps to perceive a complete shape, illustrated by logos like WWF and EA.
Similarity: objects that look the same are perceived as a group or pattern, demonstrated by the NBC logo.
Proximity: elements close to each other are perceived as related, shown through examples like the Adidas logo.
Symmetry: identical elements on either side of a fold or mirror imply a relationship, with examples like the Starbucks and Nintendo Switch logos.
Figure and ground: differentiating objects from the background, illustrated by complex designs like the Batman and Penguin graphic novel cover.
Encouragement to research more into Gestalt principles for deeper understanding and application in design.
Transcripts
hello everybody and welcome back to tip
tart and welcome back to basics for
beginners wow it's been a little while
since we've done a video in this series
but that's okay because this time we're
gonna dive headfirst into quite a big
subject Gestalt principles basics for
beginners Gestalt principles are well
Gestalt is a psychology term it
hypothesizes that people tend to
organize elements into groups so you
look at a design that someone has made
and rather than seeing the individual
elements and make it up you see the
relationships between them when certain
principles are applied what this means
is if you saw for example two circles of
the same color and the same size placed
next to each other you'd perceive them
as having a relationship rather than as
two separate circles it literally
translates to unified whole and it's
sort of a German psychologist theory
developed in the 1920s this will make
sense as we go through but essentially
some general rules you need to
understand are as follows
so objects will be perceived in their
simplest form so we talked about how we
perceive relationships between objects
that is what Gestalt theory is about the
relationships of different objects or
elements of a design have with each
other the first rule is that we perceive
them in their simplest form so if you
take these Olympic rings down on the
bottom left we perceive this as five
interlocking different colored circles
rather than what it physically is which
is a blue curved line that is then split
by a yellow curved line which is then
split by so we don't see these as
individual shapes we don't perceive this
section of the blue circle as one
element and this section of the yellow
circle as an element and then the rest
of this is another element and in this
black section no we perceive it in its
simplest form which is five circles that
are interlocking although technically
that can't be the case because it's just
a 2d picture you may hear my cat
attacking her food tower in the
background as usual secondly humans
naturally follow lines or curves now an
odd example but I find quite a useful
one is if you drive and you approach a
roundabout there are guided lines
help you pick a lane sorry for those who
don't live in the UK roundabouts are
less common in the US but bear with me
on roundabouts there is a guideline or
guidelines that run around the perimeter
of the roundabout although these are
technically separate shapes that should
have no relationship to each other by
human nature we perceive this line and
this curve as a single element okay we
naturally follow these lines and curves
same for this line here same for this
line here coming up like so where these
two lines intersect we perceive them as
doing so okay we perceive this as one
flowing object this as another flowing
object even though this is technically a
t-shape here okay we perceive these
lines and curves first before we
perceive any sort of right angles or
harsh adjacent lines finally the mind
will attempt to fill in detail there
isn't actually there now using this
example may be a little bit confusing as
this also follows several of the other
principles of Gestalt theory namely
closure which is this gap here being
filled in but essentially all of them
boil down to the fact that if there is
no information there but it is implied
our mind will subconsciously fill in the
blanks so as long as you understand that
going forward then this should be super
easy for you guys
basically you break down to this core
minimum Gestalt psychology Gestalt
design theory proposes that the whole is
different from the sum of its parts
interesting bit of trivia coming from
the guy who first proposed Gestalt
theory but he was really pissed off at
the mistranslation there's the famous
quote the whole is greater than the sum
of its parts that is not the correct
translation the correct translation is
the whole is something else from the sum
of his parts he got mad at this because
it implies addition it implies that the
whole is something more than its
individual elements whereas his argument
was it was something else entirely it's
not addition it's just completely
different
whilst there are several principles so
that Gestalt Theory defines there are a
few main ones okay and we're going to go
through the main
six here like I said there are more but
to get yourself started this will be
plenty continuation similarity closure
proximity symmetry and figure and ground
we're going to dive through these one by
one and hopefully by the end of it
you'll have a better understanding of
the main principles that build up
Gestalt theory let's start with
continuation okay here in this example
the continuation consists of that place
where the letter G has been sliced into
by that gap excuse me with the two
leaves growing out of it continuation
essentially means when the eye is sort
of pushed through or compelled to move
through one object or element and into
or through another object or elements in
the design quite often used in
typography logos you can see here in
this ProQuest logo for example that the
serif on the Q the little crossbar
sweeps out compelling the viewers eye
downwards towards the start here a
portion of the logo okay often this is
coupled with gaps in the text you can
see that the there is a gap on the
bottom of the Q here between this
section and the serif just helps to
emphasize this sort of swooping
continuation here same thing for this
Amazon logo connecting the A to Z
obviously implying that they have
everything you need from A to Z on
Amazon this the tail of this a swoops
down across the continuation goes
through and pushes up the Z dragging
your eyes along okay so that implies a
relationship between a and Z on Amazon
and a relationship between the path of
this Q and the starting point of the
journey for whatever ProQuest is here
the S is a continuation down through the
USA Network this also applies to another
gestalt principle that we're going to
talk about in a minute
so it's important to note that it is no
way exclusive very much the opposite in
fact several Gestalt principles can be
applied in the same design and
oftentimes if they are it's a more
compelling and interesting design let's
talk about closure
cloture occurs when an element is
incomplete or not totally finished or
enclosed okay but if they're nuf of the
shape is there then the human mind will
fill in what remains now we've talked
about this with the WWF logo we imply or
rather the design implies that the rest
of this pandas head is here when in fact
there is nothing there is no design
element in this place okay
the same goes for here as well however
because enough of it is indicated our
mind fills in the rest and we perceive
this as a finished shape same goes for
this light bulb here clearly there is
nothing going on there's no connection
between the screw and the bulb portion
of the design however because of the
implication we perceive it to be true we
perceive a relationship between this
man's gap of his hand and the screw of
this light bulb similarly here closure
on this e okay technically this is a -
with a sort of t that is joined to an a
here well even an a because there's a
gap there yeah however we know as in the
Western alphabet that the letters e na
and when we apply that to the company
name ea sports or EA whatever we know
that this is supposed to represent an
ene therefore we subconsciously fill in
the remaining information and it makes a
nice little design animun USA Network
very much the same thing this S does not
exist there is a you with a tail at an a
with the preceding tail there is no s
however we as people who can understand
the Western alphabet understand there is
supposed to be an S hit but it is
implied but not explicitly designed
similarity then similarity occurs when
objects look the same simple as that
okay the viewer will perceive them as a
group or pattern even though technically
there is no other relationship between
them can be similarities in color shape
texture any design element you want this
is probably the easiest to understand
but also the most broad of the gestalt
principles okay we can see in the NBC
logo here similarity of shape between
this and Peacock's feathers however no
similarity of color no similarity of
position there will rotate in different
ways but we understand that they are
related to each other
this little peacock head here actually
again doesn't exist a form of closure
but also form a figure and ground
another gestalt principle we're going to
talk about in a little bit similarity
here similarity of patterns between
different shapes of foliage okay nice
and simple
you can imply a relationship based on
similarity coupled with this is the
theory of anomaly okay when enough
objects are similar in some kind of
pattern then you can emphasize a
different object by creating an anomaly
making it different to the pattern or
the similarity that you have just spent
your time creating when you do this it's
known as an anomaly and it creates
emphasis it draws the eye you can see
here this grid of green squares and a
rotated blue one off to the corner
you're automatically compelled to see
that blue square over the pattern let's
talk about proximity proximity occurs
when things are close to each other
simple as that the position of each
element helps to portray the
relationship between the separate parts
the opposite is also true if there is no
proximity there is a perception of a
lack of relationship between those
elements will you see these group dots
here clearly perceived as a three
separate elements purely by this channel
that's running down through them if
these were grouped together they'd be
perceived as a single element perhaps
this is a count of some kind okay again
here a single item a single element of a
curved man reaching over his head you
praise them in proximity so you place
them in proximity to each other and it
becomes this idea of a tree purely by
proximity if these are all in a row or a
circle you get a different relationship
the only design element here that
implies relationship is proximity I
suppose you could say similarity as well
because they're all the same shapes
we've talked about the NBC logo -
proximity as well of these feathers to
each other okay
proximity of the N B and C they can very
closely to each other very similar very
easy to understand
Unilever logo very much the same
principle there is no u here this is not
the letter U this is just a series of
shapes that are in close proximity to
each other performing or hinting at the
shape of this
you this is probably the best example on
the page the adidas logo these three
separate adidas stripes are clearly not
related to each other you place them in
close proximity they are clearly related
to each other very powerful very simple
technique let's talk about symmetry then
next symmetry is very simple elements
that are identical to each other over
the fold of a mirror or more similar
chicas are here there is some vertical
symmetry running down the image of this
Starbucks logo the left is exactly the
same as the right of course the opposite
is also true if you have a lack of
symmetry it can imply a lack of a
relationship if you have mostly
symmetrical but with an anomaly so you
see the parallels here between symmetry
and similarity also a design can have
several symmetries for example this a
Nintendo switch logo symmetrical main
body shapes of the joy calm similarities
in their shapes anomalies in the
positions of the joysticks okay again a
bit of a gap between this and the logo
so that's proximity the symmetry of the
Nintendo and the switch whilst this is
less visually heavy than the switch
because there are more letters it evens
it out a little bit makes it a bit more
symmetrical so here we have a very nice
combination of symmetry and asymmetry
working together in order to imply
relationships the golden arches don't
need to say much about that 100%
symmetrical technically two separate
arches joined in the middle is plural
golden arches it's not a god not because
they are symmetrical they imply a
relationship probably the most famous
logo in the world this Pepsi logo has
typical symptoms of asymmetry and
symmetry involved in there as well okay
as well as closure from this Pepsi logo
here vertically symmetrical mostly due
to the visual weighting of the red being
slightly lighter than the weighting of
the blue you could say that this has
vertical symmetry it also has a symmetry
the visual weighting of this Pepsi logo
here is heavier than the rest
this bland red section and if you don't
really understand what I mean when I say
visual wait I recommend looking at my
basic compositional Theory basics for
beginners episode that I've made
previously help understand what that
term means let's talk about figure and
ground then the final one and probably
the most difficult to understand but
indeed the most powerful the eye the
human eye differentiates objects and
backgrounds just by its pure nature by
perceiving the world we see that when we
look at something we try to apply a
focus to that something you look at for
a tree for example and then the tree
sits on a field the trees clearly the
object the field is clearly the
background that theory can be applied
using figure and ground figure being the
object ground being the background okay
balancing it is an art form but you can
break the rules to great effect take for
example this criminal underworld Batman
a graphic novel cover the black section
clearly a silhouette of Batman however
the yellow which may be perceived as the
ground or background of the image if
reversed is a silhouette of the penguin
causing the Batman to be the ground and
the penguin to be the figure very clever
these three examples in the top-left use
similar techniques the black here on the
tree trunk is perceived as the figure
however this section of the black is
perceived as the ground the white here
of the river behind the tree clearly
perceived as the ground but the leaves
here perceived is the figure very
intricate this one very good could be an
emblem of some kind this blind very
simple man's face silhouetted in the
blinds you look at the other way and it
is a series of blinds very simple this
is probably my favorite one really
intricate tree really cool use of the
line and guerrilla here I think I don't
like but at least floating elements okay
you could perhaps say they're supposed
to be birds or something like up here
but they've clearly been added as an
afterthought because the silhouette
edging of this lion or tiger and
gorillas are just not apparent enough I
love it maybe could done without
this air I think Melbourne's Food and
Wine Festival very simple one
clear clear figure of a fork clear
figure of three bottle bottles of wine
the reverse of which is also true okay
the bottles of wine become the recesses
in the fork to polar bears hugging don't
need to explain that one very much the
same thing here goes for typography you
do see a lot of figure and ground in
typography it's probably the most
interesting gestalt principle I feel in
terms of what you can actually do with
it if you understand this one you'll
have no trouble with any of the others
and as far as Gestalt theory goes for a
beginner that's probably all you need to
understand as long as you have a basic
understanding of continuation similarity
closure proximity symmetry fix ground
you'll probably be okay do you feel free
to research into this more though this
is us of a black hole of knowledge and
it would pay your dues very well to
research this have a google have a look
see if you can come up with my days of
your own if you can let me know pop them
on the discord and I'll I'll have a look
at them I was gonna say feedback on them
or feedback on them if you want if you
want my feedback you can get an access
to the discord via the link in the
description below thank you very much
for watching everybody
I do appreciate it sorry it's been a
while since the last basics for beginner
episode they don't get a lot of love so
I tend not to do them but I do enjoy
making them so if you have any theories
you want me to explore any basic stuff
please let me know in the comments on
the discord and I'll do my best to
create that for you thanks very much for
watching everybody and I'll see you all
next time on tip top for more tips
tricks and tutorials thanks for watching
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