The Gestalt Principles

The Gestalt Principles Gestalt is a psychology term which means "unified whole". It refers to theories of visual perception developed by German psychologists in the 1920s. These theories attempt to describe how people tend to organize visual elements into groups or unified wholes when certain principles are applied. Similarity Similarity occurs when objects look similar to one another. The example above (containing 11 distinct objects) appears as as single unit because all of the shapes have similarity. Unity occurs because the triangular shapes at the bottom of the eagle symbol look similar to the shapes that form the sunburst. When similarity occurs, an object can be emphasised if it is dissimilar to the others. The figure on the far right becomes a focal point because it is dissimilar to the other shapes. Continuation Continuation occurs when the eye is compelled to move through one object and continue to another object. Closure Examples Proximity Figure and Ground Figure Related: COMPOSICIÓN

Gestalt principles of form perception by Mads Soegaard Gestalt psychology attempts to understand psychological phenomena by viewing them as organised and structured wholes rather than the sum of their constituent parts. Thus, Gestalt psychology dissociates itself from the more 'elementistic'/reductionistic/decompositional approaches to psychology like structuralism (with its tendency to analyse mental processes into elementary sensations) and it accentuates concepts like emergent properties, holism, and context. In the 30s and 40s Gestalt psychology was applied to visual perception, most notably by Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Khler, and Kurt Koffka who founded the so-called gestalt approaches to form perception. Law of proximity Figure 1.A: A real-world example of the law of proximity from MTV Music Awards 2002 Figure 1.B.: An example of the use of the law of proximity in interface design - Kazaa Media Desktop Figure 1.C.: A typical "text-book way" of exemplifying the law of proximity Law of similarity Law of Prgnanz (figure-ground) Law of symmetry

ARTSEDGE: Formal Visual Analysis: The Elements & Principles of Composition Overview In any work of art, all of these elements and principles will be present, but some will be more obvious than others. When engaging in formal analysis, students should select the elements they feel are most strongly represented in the piece they are analyzing. A good place to start formal analysis is to look at a work of art and take note of how your eye moves around the object. Formal analysis is an important technique for organizing visual information. The Elements The elements of formal analysis are building blocks that can be combined to create a larger structure. Line is the most basic building block of formal analysis. Value is the degree of light and dark in a design. Shapes are created when lines are combined to form a square, triangle, or circle. Forms are three-dimensional shapes with length, width, and depth. Space is the area between and around objects. Color differentiates and defines lines, shapes, forms, and space. The Principles

10 Heuristics for User Interface Design Visibility of system status The system should always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time. (Read full article on visibility of system status.) Match between system and the real world The system should speak the users' language, with words, phrases and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms. (Read full article on the match between the system and the real world.) User control and freedom Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly marked "emergency exit" to leave the unwanted state without having to go through an extended dialogue. Consistency and standards Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Error prevention Even better than good error messages is a careful design which prevents a problem from occurring in the first place. (Read full article on preventing user errors.) Recognition rather than recall Help and documentation

Composition and Design Principles ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Everybody immediately responds to subject matter in art. A picture of a butterfly and a picture of a snake do not get the same response. In addition to subject matter*, the formal aspects of visual composition are like the grammar of a language. The use of design principles applied to the visual elements is like visual grammar. TEACHING TIP Art vocabulary can be taught along with every project. *Glossary: "Subject matter" is similar to "topic" or "content" when teaching art. Six Visual Elements (art elements) top of page We think of the elements as the basic visual material with which to make art. Some Design Principles or design rules (some creative artists purposely break rules) top of page This list is an example list. Balance is the consideration of visual weight and importance. Variety - You create variety when elements are changed. Motion. Sometimes it has to do with orientation. Depth.

Color Theory Tutorial by Worqx Why study color theory? If you are involved in the creation or design of visual documents, an understanding of color will help when incorporating it into your own designs. Choices regarding color often seem rather mystical, as many seem to base decisions on nothing other than "it looks right." Although often told I had an eye for color, the reason why some colors worked together while others did not always intrigued me and I found the study of color theory fascinating. While attending the University of Minnesota I enrolled in almost every course I could from different departments: graphic design, interior design, and fine arts. Communicating Color What is red? HTML Red Pantone® Red Pantone® Warm Red TRUEMATCH® 6-a Color Application With respect to the arts, color was part of the realistic, visual representation of form, but one group of painters abandoned the traditional practices regarding color in painting. The next several pages of this site offer a tutorial regarding color theory.

Gestalt Principles: Visual Perception And Design Accessibility The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect. Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web The Web is fundamentally designed to work for all people, whatever their hardware, software, language, culture, location, or physical or mental ability. When the Web meets this goal, it is accessible to people with a diverse range of hearing, movement, sight, and cognitive ability. Thus the impact of disability is radically changed on the Web because the Web removes barriers to communication and interaction that many people face in the physical world. The mission of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) is to lead the Web to its full potential to be accessible, enabling people with disabilities to participate equally on the Web. See below for: Why: The Case for Web Accessibility It is essential that the Web be accessible in order to provide equal access and equal opportunity to people with diverse abilities.

Learn Design Fundamentals and improve the clarity of your visual communication Being able to design a website is more than writing html and css. Your website has to communicate multiple messages to an audience and your design uses a visual language to communicate. Do you speak that visual language? A website needs to engage a visitor in conversation within 2 seconds. As a designer it’s your job to begin that conversation. In such a short amount of time the only communication between site and visitor are the visuals of your design. I entered the world of web design as a front end coder. Fortunately I was aware of my limitations and spent several years learning all those things you would usually learn earning a degree in graphic design. At the time there was very little information about design fundamentals available online. Some books taught me a lot and others not so much. My goal with this book is to help you save some of the time I had to spend to get started. Design Fundamentals is a living book.

Introduction to "How People with Disabilities Use the Web" In-Suite Navigation Introduction How do people who cannot move their arms use your website? What about people who cannot see well or at all? Or people who have difficulty hearing or understanding, or have other accessibility needs? This resource introduces how people with disabilities, including people with age-related impairments, use the Web. This resource includes the following pages: Stories of Web Users - stories of selected scenarios of people with disabilities using the Web, to highlight the effect of barriers and the broader benefits of accessible websites and web tools. Tips: There are additional supporting materials available on the Web, such as videos of how people with disabilities use the Web . [Top of Page | Next Page - Stories of Web Users]

10 Rules of Composition All Designers Live By You could have the most beautiful graphic elements in the world, but if your composition isn’t up to scratch, all of that goes out the window. So, it’s safe to say that composition is pretty important. So, what exactly is a composition? Well, in very simple terms, it’s the part where all the separate elements come together to form a whole. A successful composition means that you have arranged, distributed, aligned and compiled your design in a way that not only looks good but is also highly functional and effective. 01. Just like we were all told in school, having focus is a very important thing. When choosing your focal point, keep in mind that the main goal of any design is communication. Some ways to draw focus are through techniques like scale, contrast and leading lines, all of which we’ll discuss in depth later on. This example by Matthew Metz is for fashion retailer Nordstrom, so the focal point of this piece is the model and her clothes. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10.

12 pro tips to improve your artistic composition A strong composition is crucial to a successful piece of art. It's what will attract a viewer's eye, and what will hold their attention once they take a closer look. It can mean the difference between an action-packed piece of art and a solemn, contemplative one. But how do you make a composition convey the mood you want, and what is it that makes a composition successful? There are a many long-standing rules regarding what makes a good composition, such as the Golden Ratio, the Golden Spiral and the Rule of Thirds. But they aren't really rules at all! Think of them as suggestions… or better yet, as optional templates. I'll discuss some of these techniques, explain why they're successful and how you can use that knowledge to make a better image. To begin, all you really need to know is this: a good composition is nothing more than a pleasing arrangement of shapes, colours and tones. But we don't want good compositions, we want great compositions! 01. Through relationships. 02. 03. 04. 05.

6 Elements of Design Domposition - Notes on Design Even to those with design experience, design composition is understood to be an enormously complex concept. It is the constant task of weighing and considering a long list of elements, over the course of the design process of any given project. However, there are certain elements that are more important than others, in the sense that you are going to run into them frequently, regardless of your project. For one, color theory should always influence your design, and this helpful infographic will show you why. Keeping all of the above in mind, there are several important elements of design composition to consider. Important Design Composition Elements Balance is essential in your design composition. Composition: The value of composition is considerable. The elements of design composition should be taken seriously. Share: