![]() ![]() While this concept is instinctive, there are layers to consider to leverage Similarity's power thoroughly. Similarity: Items that look alike appear to be related. You subconsciously apply Closure to frame the rest of the boundary. The X and Y axes provide a foundational boundary. In the illustration below, watch as the graphs create their own space, even as we eliminate the borders and backgrounds. We can group the charts, graphs, crosstabs, and other objects commonly used in dashboards in visual regions without drawn borders or background colors for demarcation. As report authors, Closure can help us produce clean, elegant designs that help minimize our readers' cognitive load and accelerate comprehension and insights. We attempt to derive a complete picture based on patterns from past experiences and understanding. When confronted with a partial picture or idea, we exercise the Closure law to fill in the blanks. The dog in the image above is an example of Closure. Who doesn't like a little closure in life? It turns out most people prefer it, especially when processing visual cues. Closure: Incomplete shapes are perceived to be complete. These perceptions surface because of Proximty - the circles' position in relation to one another. Finally, notice how you are naturally inclined to horizontally scan the circles in Figure 1, while in Figure 2, you are more apt to scan vertically. The labels (Figure 1 and Figure 2) are placed near the group of circles they describe. First, you automatically see two groups of blue circles. Consider the figures below where Proximity is at play. For example, you can use Proximity to influence how your consumers flow through the elements of your dashboard. Proximity is so intuitive that we might need to pay more attention to its power. Intuitive, right? You probably already use this principle in your dashboards by grouping global filters or placing your BANs (Big-Ass Numbers) in a group for quick takeaway metrics. This principle holds even when adjacent items differ in other ways, such as color, shape, or size. Proximity: Items that are close to each other appear to be related. Let's examine each one from the perspective of a report author. ![]() These laws still stand today as accurate methods for defining visual perception. As a result of their work, the researchers produced the following principles: Proximity, Closure, Similarity, Continuity, Enclosure, and Connection. Gestaltist researchers were the first to empirically demonstrate and document facts about how people perceive order in the world around them. We make order in the world from visual stimuli through these pathways, which the Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception define.ĭeveloped by the Gestalt School of Psychology, the principles date back to the early 1900s. Instead of perceiving the elements as individual and unrelated components, we take in the entire shape as a whole, building a pathway to the perception of a dog even where there isn't one. We perceive the dog because, in an instant, our brains take these nebulous spots and organize them into a familiar pattern, something we can comprehend. ![]() I bet you saw a trotting dog (perhaps even a dalmatian) when you were actually looking at several moving black dots. Evolution has hard-wired our brains over time for this. You may not realize it, but we constantly and subconsciously look for structure and patterns in the visual stimuli that bombard us as we move through the day. So what are these laws or principles of perception? I return to them, especially when working on a challenging dashboard or report. Several years ago, I first came across the Gestalt principles in Stephen Few's book, Information Dashboard Design. You'll also have science-backed research to defend your design choices and educate stakeholders. They will help you tap into different pathways of perceptions to design and organize information assets that help your audience efficiently interpret your visualizations. The Gestalt principles are not complicated. ![]() In this post, I will dive into the Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception, which describe how our audiences' brains perceive the visual cues we are laying down in our dashboards. One way to deliver clean and intuitive designs that transmit our message in the most efficient manner possible is by eliminating distractions and "chartjunk" with the Data to Ink Ratio. I examined the concept of cognitive load and how it can impact our audience's capacity for interpreting and deriving insight from our reports and dashboards. In the first installment of a three-part series covering visual design concepts for report authors, I discussed how to "Keep it Simple" as a core principle of visual design. This blog series is for you if you build reports and dashboards but design and UX are not part of your typical vocabulary. ![]()
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