Gestalt Principles of Design Overview Perception Visual Fields

Gestalt Principles of Design

Overview • Perception • Visual Fields • Gestalt Theory – Figure-ground contrast – Grouping

Perception • Perception requires thinking – Readers search for focal points – Readers draw on past experience – Readers vision the task at hand, and then some • Perception is goal directed

What do you see? 9 20 12 32

Visual Fields • A range of vision that in any perceptual moment will likely include an array of shapes, lines, patterns, and textures

Gestalt http: //graphics. lcs. mit. edu/classes/ 6. 893/F 03/lectures/L 7. pdf

Gestalt Principles of Design • Gestalt means “form” • Two of the most important principles: – Figure-ground – Grouping

Figure-ground • When an object is surrounded by white space, keep a sense of proportion between the object (the figure) and its surroundings (ground). • The “figure” is the focal image • The “ground” is the background image

This page has lots of text and not much visual variation. As a result, readers won’t be drawn to any particular place on the page.

Is This Any Better? This page has lots of text and not much visual variation. As a result, readers won’t be drawn to any particular place on the page.

How about This? This page has lots of text and not much visual variation. As a result, readers won’t be drawn to any particular place on the page. 1. This page has lots of text and not much visual variation. As a result, readers won’t be drawn to any particular place on the page. This page has lots of text and not much visual variation. 2. As a result, readers won’t be drawn to any particular place on the page. This page has lots of text and not much visual variation. As a result, readers won’t be drawn to any particular place on the page.

Figure-ground Contrast • Figure-ground contrast gives you a powerful tool to respond to any given rhetorical situation. • Be careful of “visual noise” • Noise is anything that interferes with the writer’s message – Static on a phone line – Busy backgrounds – “Loopy” fonts

Figure-ground Contrast • Figure-ground contrast gives you a powerful tool to respond to any given rhetorical situation. • Be careful of “visual noise” • Noise is anything that interferes with the writers message – Static on a phone line – Busy backgrounds – “Loopy” fonts

Noise • This is a noisy typeface. • Another noisy typeface • Still another. Can you IMAGINE this in ALL CAPS? • Eye Bank • Pen Island • Who Represents • The Experts Exchange

Grouping • Shows structure and organization • Threads parts into manageable units • Grouping creates “visual cohesion” that holds the parts together

Gestalt Principles • For a refresher (or more information) • Gestalt Theory