Gestalt Psychology, (Definition from Britannica) “is the school of psychology founded in the 20th century that provided the foundation for the modern study of perception, Gestalt theory emphasizes that the whole of anything is greater than its parts. The word Gestalt is used in modern German to mean the way a thing has been “placed,” or “put together.”

Gestalt therapy, is a holistic form of psychotherapy that centers around the current challenges rather than digging into past experiences and traumas. The focus is on taking responsibility instead of placing blame on circumstances or other individuals. Being a victim to a person or a life event takes control away from an individual taking responsibility for their choices, behaviors and reactions. It does not matter who is at fault and whether or not they are deserving of forgiveness. Cultivating personal responsibility means letting go everything that no longer serves the goal of a mentally healthy future.

Creative activities such as drawing, painting, sculpting or dancing are often used to help regulate emotions and stay present in the moment to gain self awareness.

Gestalt Design Principles

Six of the Gestalt Design Principles are:

similarity
continuity
proximity
symmetry & order
figure/ground
closure

Photo by: Pierre Chatel-Innocenti @chatelp

The human brain is wired to see patterns and structures to decipher elements in the environment for survival. Gestalt theory explores the idea of how the human brain subconsciously arranges separate entities into an organized whole image. Symmetry, grids and patterns become simplified images informing the brain how to act and react.

Design with Gestalt is important for creating an effective visual and user experience (UX) to communicate instantly while giving the brain an exercise. Understanding how the brain interprets images is important for a designer to deliver an instant message. There are many successful and recognizable logos that follow the gestalt theory. Some examples are; the FedEx logo (there is an arrow between the E and the x), World Wildlife Fund’s panda logo uses “closure” where the eye/brain assumes the connection where the curved lines are open. Stadium and theater seating are also examples of gestalt design using similarity and symmetry and order. To keep this simplified, I have chosen to feature the figure and ground principles to highlight with a well known image that leaves a lasting impression.

Figure/Ground

The brain interprets the smaller area of an image as the figure and the larger area as the ground. This illusion created by Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin, demonstrates figure/ground perfectly. This is the exact same image with reversed use of negative space. The faces are seen almost instantly in the image to the left whereas the right side is clearly a vase. These are the types of graphic images where once you see an alternate image, it’s hard to revert back to the first impression.

Illusion created by Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin