{"id":86584,"date":"2025-10-02T17:05:29","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T17:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/glossary\/leyes-de-gestalt\/"},"modified":"2026-10-28T11:04:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T11:04:09","slug":"gestalt-laws","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/gestalt-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"Gestalt Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Gestalt laws<\/strong> are the principles that explain how the brain organizes what we see. It groups elements, completes shapes and separates the figure from the background before we even think about it.<\/p>\n\n

That is why the Gestalt laws are used in graphic design, advertising, websites and emails.<\/p>\n\n

If you have ever seen an “incomplete” logo and your mind closed it on its own, you have already experienced one of them.<\/p>\n\n

What are the Gestalt laws?<\/h2>\n\n

“Gestalt” is a German word that means “form” or “configuration”. Gestalt psychology was born in Germany in the early 20th century with Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang K\u00f6hler and Kurt Koffka.<\/p>\n\n

Its central idea is that we perceive wholes, not separate pieces.<\/p>\n\n

Koffka summed it up like this: the whole is other<\/strong> than the sum of its parts. It is often quoted as “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”, although the original phrase did not say “greater”.<\/p>\n\n

In 1923, Wertheimer described the principles we use to group what we see. Later researchers added others, such as common region. That is why there is no fixed list: depending on the source, between 6 and 12 Gestalt laws<\/strong> are cited.<\/p>\n\n

What Gestalt laws are there?<\/h2>\n\n

These are the ten most cited, with an example of each:<\/p>\n\n

Law<\/th>What it says<\/th>Example<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Proximity<\/td>Things that are close together are perceived as a group<\/td>An image with its text and its button below it<\/td><\/tr>
Similarity<\/td>Things that look alike (color, shape, size) are grouped together<\/td>All the buttons on a website in the same style<\/td><\/tr>
Closure<\/td>The mind completes incomplete shapes<\/td>A logo made of lines that don’t touch<\/td><\/tr>
Continuity<\/td>We follow lines and curves in the same direction<\/td>An arrow or a gaze that leads to the button<\/td><\/tr>
Figure and ground<\/td>We separate what stands out from what sits behind it<\/td>A colored button on a white background<\/td><\/tr>
Symmetry<\/td>Symmetrical things are seen as a stable unit<\/td>A centered single-column design<\/td><\/tr>
Common fate<\/td>Things that move in the same direction are grouped together<\/td>Icons that appear together in an animation<\/td><\/tr>
Pr\u00e4gnanz or good form<\/td>We prefer the simplest possible shape<\/td>Flat icons instead of detailed drawings<\/td><\/tr>
Common region<\/td>Things inside the same frame belong together<\/td>A block with a gray background for a notice<\/td><\/tr>
Experience<\/td>We interpret things based on what we already know<\/td>The envelope icon for email<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n
\"Infographic<\/figure>\n\n

Law of proximity<\/h3>\n\n

It is the most widely used of the Gestalt laws in design. If two elements are close together, the brain assumes they are related. If you separate them, it understands they are different things.<\/p>\n\n

Law of similarity<\/h3>\n\n

We group things that share color, shape, size or typeface. That is why the links on a website usually all have the same color: that way you know which ones you can click.<\/p>\n\n

Law of closure<\/h3>\n\n

When part of a figure is missing, the mind completes it. Many logos use negative space to draw a second shape that only appears when you look twice.<\/p>\n\n

Law of continuity<\/h3>\n\n

The eye follows the smoothest path. A line, an arrow or the direction of someone’s gaze in a photo guide the reader where you want.<\/p>\n\n

Law of figure and ground<\/h3>\n\n

We always separate a main element from the background. The greater the contrast, the clearer the figure. It is the foundation of a good call to action<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Law of common fate<\/h3>\n\n

If several elements move together or point in the same direction, we see them as a group. It is used in animations, drop-down menus and GIFs.<\/p>\n\n

Law of Pr\u00e4gnanz<\/h3>\n\n

It is also called the law of good form. When faced with several interpretations, the brain chooses the simplest and most orderly one. That is why a clean design is understood faster.<\/p>\n\n

Examples of the Gestalt laws in advertising and logos<\/h2>\n\n

Advertising uses the Gestalt laws<\/strong> so that an ad is understood in less than a second. Some common uses:<\/p>\n\n