Understanding the Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception
In the early 20th century, Max Wertheimer, a scholar, founded the school of Gestalt psychology, believing that to analyze a subject, it would be necessary to take into consideration all the experiences the individual had, as well as their feelings. Because Wertheimer believed that all emotions and experiences were important, he named his approach to therapy Gestalt, which is the German word for ‘whole’.
The nature of his approach to therapy decanted in Wertheimer studying the problem of how perception works, which led him to develop the Gestalt principles of visual perception. The Gestalt principles of perception are intended to explain how the human visual system groups objects to generate forms and create representations of said forms.
Gestalt principles of visual perception
The Gestalt principles of perception encompass all aspects of perception that cannot be broken down into smaller components. The principles formulated by Wertheimer are grounded on the idea that the visual experience varies depending on the relationship between the sum of its parts. The Gestalt principles of visual perception are figure/ground, proximity, similarity, uniform destiny (also known as common fate), enclosure, closure, continuity, and connection. Below the author presents a summary of each principle:
Figure/ground explains how the human eye describes the figures by isolating shapes from the background.
The law of proximity establishes that humans tend to recognize elements which are close as related or as part of a group.
The law of similarity explains why humans tend to recognize similar elements as belonging to the same group or category.
Uniform destiny or common fate explains how humans tend to perceive elements that seem to be moving in the same direction as related to each other.
The law of enclosure explains how humans tend to relate objects that are connected by a uniform shape, such as a triangle, line, or rectangle.
The law of closure explains the tendency of humans to look at disparate parts of a picture, shape, or phrase and fill in any missing parts to create the whole.
The law of continuity explains how humans tend to perceive objects as belonging together or being a part of a whole when they are aligned or seem to be the continuation of each other.
Connection explains how humans tend to assume that objects that are connected to each other by shapes or colors are part of a single unit.
Knowledge of visual perception principles is key for creating graphs, charts, visualizations, and dashboards that enable the audience to analyze the information in them effectively. When applied correctly, the principles of visual perception facilitate the understanding of the data and provide meaning to it. Remember, it is easier to make informed decisions when the facts are duly organized, presented, and shown in a manner that captivates our attention. Applying the principles of visual perception will help you captivate your audience's attention and persuade them to follow the narrative you are presenting.
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