What is the purpose of the gestalt principles?
Laws of human perception:
* how we find order in what we see
* how we recognise groups, relationships and patterns
* how we see individual elements as a whole
* how we simplify complex images
What are the gestalt rules?
- Emergence
- Closure
- Continuity
- Proximity
- Similarity
- Common Region
What is the emergence rule?
perceiving the whole of the object without having to analyse every part
What is the closure rule?
Seeing the complete shape when only parts are visible
What is the continuity rule?
Grouping elements that follow the same path; seeing a continuous shape even if partly occluded
What is the proximity rule?
objects that are closer together are perceived as a group
What is the similarity rule?
Objects that share visual characteristics are perceived as groups
What is the common region rule?
Objects within the same region are perceived as one group
What is the figure/ground rule?
To simplify an image, the brain separates foreground from the background, with primary focus on the foreground
In visual design, how is separation created between the foreground and background?
- High contrast
- foreground has less blur, is smaller and is brighter
How can visual structure make information easier and quicker to understand?
Spacing, grouping of information, patterns and alignment makes it easier to scan for desired information
e.g. if a phone book is a block of text vs a list of names and numbers with separation
What is pre attentive processing?
When visual information is processed quickly, effortlessly, and in parallel; doesn’t require focussed attention
In what time must information be processed to be considered pre attentively processed?
200-250ms; less time that needed to move eyes
What is the point of preattentive processing?
- pop-out information from peripheral draws in our attention
- Instant understanding of some information without moving eyes
Why is it not a good idea to use a rainbow scale for data
visualization?
Different colours are hard to visualise as being ordered; lightness is much better as contrast is easier to see
When is different values of colour good to use?
identifying different categories
