Gestalt Theory

1. Gestalt Theory

2. The word Gestalt is used in modern German to mean the way a thing has been ‘gestellt’;
i.e ‘placed’ or ‘put together’.
/ There is no exact equivalent in English for Gestalt.
‘Form’ is the usual translation.

3. Wolfgang Kohler Max Wertheimer Kurt Koffka
Why do we see some things as figure and
other things as background?

4. Wolfgang Kohler Max Wertheimer Kurt Koffka
How is it possible that we can distinguish
a shape?

5. Wolfgang Kohler Max Wertheimer Kurt Koffka
What is a ‘good’ shape?

6. They defined the principles - psycho physiological mechanisms -
of the perception in:
(independent of culture, sociological and environmental influences)
Gestalt Theory

7. 9 Laws of Gestalt
Nothing is fully comprehensible out of context.
The essential point of gestalt is that in perception the whole
is different than the sum of its parts.

8. Law 1
The law of the relation figure / ground

12. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.

13. Law 1
The law of the relation figure / ground:
Figure refers to an active positive form revealed against a passive,
negative ground.
The figure can only be identified because of its background and the
background only because of its figure.

14. Law 2
The law of symmetry

17. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.
Regions bound by symmetrical
borders tend to be perceived as
coherent figures.

18. Law 2
The law of symmetry:
Regions bound by symmetrical borders tend to be perceived
as coherent figures.
Symmetric stimuli are grouped together.

19. Law 3
The law of proximity

20. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.
Regions bound by symmetrical
borders tend to be perceived as
coherent figures.

21. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.
Above there appear to be 3 vertical lines.
While right, there appear to be 3 horizontal lines.

22. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.
Two groups of shapes.

23. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.
One group of shapes.

24. Law 3
The law of proximity:
Elements that are close together will be perceived as
a coherent object.

25. Law 4
The law of similarity

26. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.

27. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.
There seems to be a triangle in the square.

29. It seems to be two white columns alternate with two black ones.

30. Law 4
The law of similarity:
Elements that look similar will be perceived as part
of the same form.

31. Law 5
The law of good continuation

33. We tend to identify two lines
in continuation like this...

34. ..and not like this.

35. Law 5
The law of good continuation:
Whenever elements of a pattern establish an implied direction, people
tend to draw a good continuous line.

36. Law 6
The law of closure

37. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.

38. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.
We tend to enclose a space by completing a contour and ignore the gaps

39. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.

40. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.
We tend to see a circle and a square,
and to ignore the gaps.

41. Law 6
The law of closure:
In our perception a space is enclosed by completing a contour
and ignoring gaps in the figure.

42. Law 7
The law of Prägnanz*
*Prägnanz = Good figure

44. We tend to see a triangle and
a square combined,

45. and not three shapes like these.

49. Law 7
The law of Prägnanz*:
A stimulus will be organized into a ‘good figure’ as possible.
Figures are seen as their simple elements instead
of complicated shapes.
*Prägnanz = Good figure

50. Law 8
The law of common fate

51. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.

52. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.

53. Law 8
The law of common fate:
Objects with a common movement, that move in the same direction,
at the same pace, at the same time are organized
as a group.

54. Law 9
The law of past experience

55. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.

56. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.
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57. This figure appears as a square inside a
circle or as a donut with a square hole.
Figure/ground reversals create a delightful
‘surprise’ in the viewers’s eye.
Many of the best logos designed will use
figure/ground reversal to their advantage.

58. Law 9
The law of past experience:
Similarity with an object or a symbol that can be behavioral or
perceptual, a response based on the viewers previous experiences.
This law is the basis for symbolism.

59. Gestalt Laws
The law of the relation figure / ground
The law of symmetry
The law of proximity
The law of similarity
The law of good continuation
The law of closure
The law of prägnanz
The law of common fate
The law of past experience