#gestaltprinciples

[harmonyhealinghub]

The Gestalt Principle: Why The Whole Is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts Shaina Tranquilino April 23, 2024

In the realm of perception and cognition, the Gestalt principle stands as a testament to the interconnectedness and complexity of human experience. Coined by German psychologists in the early 20th century, this principle suggests that the whole is greater than the mere sum of its individual components. From visual illusions to problem-solving, the Gestalt principle illuminates how our minds organize and interpret the world around us.

Understanding the Gestalt Principle: At its core, the Gestalt principle emphasizes that our perception goes beyond the simple combination of individual elements. Instead, we tend to perceive objects as unified wholes, often emphasizing patterns, relationships, and structures. This principle manifests across various domains of human experience, offering insights into psychology, art, design, and even organizational behaviour.

Visual Perception: In visual perception, the Gestalt principle explains phenomena such as figure-ground relationship, proximity, similarity, closure, and continuity. For instance, when we look at a complex image, our minds effortlessly organize it into meaningful shapes and forms, prioritizing coherence and completeness. This innate tendency to perceive wholes rather than parts highlights the efficiency and sophistication of our visual processing.

Art and Design: Artists and designers leverage the Gestalt principle to create compelling compositions that captivate the viewer's attention. By understanding how elements interact within a visual field, creators can manipulate perception to evoke specific emotions and convey particular messages. Whether through balance, contrast, or alignment, the Gestalt principle serves as a guiding principle in the creation of aesthetically pleasing and impactful artworks.

Problem-Solving and Creativity: Beyond perception, the Gestalt principle influences our problem-solving abilities and creative endeavors. When faced with a complex challenge, we often seek to understand the underlying patterns and relationships, allowing us to grasp the bigger picture. By recognizing how individual elements contribute to a larger whole, we can devise innovative solutions and approach problems from novel perspectives.

Psychological Insights: On a psychological level, the Gestalt principle sheds light on how we perceive ourselves and others within social contexts. We tend to categorize individuals based on overarching traits and characteristics, forming impressions that extend beyond mere summations of their attributes. This holistic perception influences our interactions, relationships, and societal dynamics, emphasizing the importance of considering the whole individual rather than isolated traits.

Organizational Dynamics: In the realm of organizational behavior, the Gestalt principle informs our understanding of group dynamics and teamwork. Successful teams prioritize collaboration and synergy, recognizing that the collective effort often yields results greater than the mere aggregation of individual contributions. By fostering a culture that values cohesion and shared goals, organizations can harness the power of the Gestalt principle to drive innovation and productivity.

The Gestalt principle serves as a cornerstone in our comprehension of perception, cognition, and human behaviour. It reminds us that the whole is not simply the sum of its parts but a complex interplay of relationships and patterns that transcend individual elements. Whether in art, problem-solving, or organizational dynamics, embracing the Gestalt principle empowers us to perceive the world with greater clarity and harness the inherent synergy of interconnectedness.

[newschool-savannah]

GESTALT - 7.11.21

[anjalin400]

gestalt photos

Closure / Good Continuity:

Good Continuity:

Figure-Ground Relationship:

Similarity:

Proximity:

Uniform Connectedness:

Common Fate:

Bonus! 

I feel like might be a bunch of things, but I’m not sure (continuity? similarity? proximity? uniform connectedness?)

all photos by Anjali Nair (me)

[christinemonk]

Key Learnings:-

Introduction to Gestalt Theory of Learning

What is Gestalt Therapy

What is Gestalt Psychology

Origin of Gestalt Theory

Characteristics of Gestalt Theory

How is Gestalt Theory Used in Coaching?

Applications of Gestalt Theory of Learning

Educational Applications OF GESTALT THEORY OF LEARNING

Strengths and Limitations of Gestalt Approach

Introduction to Gestalt Theory of Learning

Gestalt is an all-encompassing concept. A gestalt, in other words, is greater than the sum of its components. The total cannot be derived from the pieces.

Gestalt is a human perception philosophy. Gestalt theorists look into a variety of research concerns about the role of the human mind in perception and interpretation, including:

How does the human brain deal with the constant barrage of information?

What is the process by which the human mind recognises patterns?

How can the whole be larger than the sum of its parts?

Why is the total “more than the sum of its parts” in some cases?

Gestalt is defined as a physical, biological, or symbolic configuration or pattern of elements that is so unified as a whole that its attributes cannot be determined by adding up its pieces. Gestalt theory provides a new perspective on learning.

Gestalt as a concept and Gestalt Theory as a theory arose in opposition to Behaviorism’s emphasis on empiricism and positivistic knowledge.

German psychologists Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, and Kurt Koffka were all interested in the role of the human mind in perception. They were particularly interested in how the mind makes sense of the world—how we sift all of the information we receive from our senses on a moment-by-moment basis. They were particularly eager to show that the human mind has a significant impact on what it senses. They wanted to show that humans are more than just stimulus-response machines.

They theorised that the human mind doesn’t focus on individual details but rather on the big picture, based on their factual observations and hypotheses, their suppositions about causal links. They proposed that the mind views the minute elements of life, the minutia, as a part of a larger whole, rather than perceiving each of our senses as they assault us moment by moment.

It’s a multisensory psychological notion that’s used in therapy, design, and management research. Here, we’ll learn everything there is to know about Gestalt therapy, including its history and psychology.

[the-new-waves]

A clever blocking when they're discussing about a rat among them. Visually separating a character from the group helps to perceive as unique #gestaltlawofgrouping #gestaltprinciples So when he says 'there is rat among us', #johnnydepp easily gets our focus. https://www.instagram.com/theframebook/p/CYMdP7-PULF/?utm_medium=tumblr

[designingwithpurpose]

Gestalt principles

Gestalt is about human perception. It ‘plays’ with our mind by using shapes and forms to give the appropriate meaning to each visual project. It also allows directing people’s attention to specific points. Gestalt principles’ purpose is to help us professionals organize and transmit the visual information we want.

Principle of closure, for example, is about filling the gaps in order to complete an image. IBM’s logo, for instance, uses this principle. The horizontal lines break down the letters, but the way it’s arranged guides us to complete the logo and read its name. 

The principle of proximity tells that things that are close to each other suggest to be connected or related than the ones that are visually spaced. Principle of symmetry group things together as long as these things are symmetrical. Another principle is similarity. It defines that things that are similar to each other tend to be grouped together. The principle of continuity states that our eyes are likely to follow a path when things are organized in lines, even though sometimes these lines are not clear. Amazon uses this principle on its website to arrange their products that are related and in the same category. One more relevant principle worth mentioning is the principle of figure-ground. It uses the white space and usually there is an element in focus and another element in the background.

All these principles aligned with the basic elements can help communicate with the target/users. Can you think of any other company that uses these principles mentioned above on their materials?

[jennamaslechk0]

(Order of appearance)

Similarity

Proximity

Closure

Uniform Connectedness

Figure-Ground Relationship

Good Continuation

Common Fate

[redalkemi]

[dianitafernanda]

#animation #aftereffects #motiondesign #ghostlytriangle #underwaterghost #underwater #Gestalt #GestaltPrinciples #gestaltprinciplesfordesign 🌊 👩🏻‍🎨👩🏻‍💻 (at Bradley Hall)

[hstarbuck]

Topic Videos

LINES

Lines Chapter Vocabulary   http://screencast.com/t/p8BpOFGK

How designers use lines http://screencast.com/t/43edXImVb

SHAPE

Shape Chapter Vocabulary   http://screencast.com/t/OlzVvwSyB

PATTERN & TEXTURE

Pattern and Texture Vocabulary http://screencast.com/t/9bY73SdmGsXk

ILLUSION OF SPACE

Space 2018 video https://drive.google.com/open?id=1aLE4IqOujJ7CkuY_Mp3ByGrDfNx_dOcl

Space Vocabulary by Honoria http://screencast.com/t/KZAuLdTe

3 parts – How to draw Depth by Proko  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlLU05hmXyA

http://youtu.be/LIuNehjFmUU

http://youtu.be/GJvH8CiExiM

Positive and Negative space by Sycra http://youtu.be/thSjD0BGPx4

Foreground, middle-ground, background by Sycra http://tinyurl.com/bsu48xu

MOTION

Motion Vocabulary by Honoria http://screencast.com/t/7QfBUqtq

Tracie King created a slide show from the chapter http://www.slideshare.net/tracieking902/chapter-11-illusion-of-motion

Do the movies really move? http://youtu.be/CBHOny0R7_o

VALUE Value Vocabulary http://screencast.com/t/g6XYzHbz

COLOR Color Vocabulary http://screencast.com/t/6O4iV9ZlbpE (revised September 2015)

Color Scripts in animation production http://www.pixar.com/behind_the_scenes/Colorscripts#/node/3830

Color Vocabulary with illustrations by Summer 2013 Students http://youtu.be/70c5YHyWOUo

Color Vocabulary with Jokes by Winter 2013 Students http://youtu.be/DwtLX9JXJVI

Kuler color swatch magic by Adobe for Photoshop and Illustrator https://kuler.adobe.com/links/tutorial/

UNITY Unity Vocabulary  http://screencast.com/t/qmk5yY4S8Y   Thank you to Noma Bar for his negative space coffee cup.

Unity and Shape https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEtKMm8bzOI

Gestalt in Design Thinking

http://graphicdesign.spokanefalls.edu/tutorials/process/gestaltprinciples/gestaltprinc.htm

EMPHASIS Emphasis and Focal Point Vocabulary http://screencast.com/t/cve9wNuC I know I left the “e” off of whole, will redo soon - Thanks.

Winter 2013 Students explain Emphasis http://tinyurl.com/bzmxvx9

SCALE & PROPORTION

New Spring 2013 Scale and Proportion Vocabulary http://screencast.com/t/AoMiHViEs

A game based on scale and proportion. http://youtu.be/HOfll06X16c

Presentation with embedded videos http://www.slideshare.net/honoria/scale-and-proportion-chapter-4-starbuck

RHYTHM

2016 Rhythm Vocabulary Video Rhythm

Honoria’s Rhythm Vocabulary http://screencast.com/t/3oNxRiY1nl

Rhythm presentation http://www.slideshare.net/honoria/rhythm-chapter-6

BALANCE

Honoria’s Balance Vocabulary http://screencast.com/t/XfYGoRhCiQ

Balance presentation http://www.slideshare.net/honoria/balance-in-design-fundamentals

[chrisstcyr]

Stephen posted a video to Instagram: Principle: Simplicity —> Unity It’s time to redefine some design principles. #gestalt #gestaltprinciples #covid #adobexd #xd #interactiondesign #aiga #aigadec #designeducation https://instagr.am/p/CCTZoxEpnu1/

[uxkat-blog]

Abandon "lorem ipsum" now! ☠️⁣ ⁣ ⁣ COPY IS AS IMPORTANT AS VISUALS.⁣ ⁣ @susanreoch_copywriter and @yuvalkesh1 of @uxwritinghub should love this quote by John Zeratsky @joh8282 📝 —as do I!⁣ ⁣ #uxdesign ⁣ #userexperience ⁣ #userexperiencedesign ⁣ #uxcommunity ⁣ ⁣ #uxdesigner #womenintech #uidesign #userinterfacedesign #userinterfacedesigner #uxwriting #uxwriter #uxquote #uxnews #uxquotes #uxzitate #uxcopy #uxcopywriting #uxcopywriter #uxstatement #visualdesign #visualdesigner #userinterface #humanmachineinteraction #humanmachineinterface #humancentereddesign #thenormandoor #gestaltprinciples (hier: UX Writers) https://www.instagram.com/p/CA7GlR_iBlO/?igshid=1f0r1o33uyuwc

[christinemonk]

Key Learnings:-

Introduction to Gestalt Theory of Learning

What is Gestalt Therapy

What is Gestalt Psychology

Origin of Gestalt Theory

Characteristics of Gestalt Theory

How is Gestalt Theory Used in Coaching?

Applications of Gestalt Theory of Learning

Educational Applications OF GESTALT THEORY OF LEARNING

Strengths and Limitations of Gestalt Approach

Introduction to Gestalt Theory of Learning

Gestalt is an all-encompassing concept. A gestalt, in other words, is greater than the sum of its components. The total cannot be derived from the pieces.

Gestalt is a human perception philosophy. Gestalt theorists look into a variety of research concerns about the role of the human mind in perception and interpretation, including:

How does the human brain deal with the constant barrage of information?

What is the process by which the human mind recognises patterns?

How can the whole be larger than the sum of its parts?

Why is the total “more than the sum of its parts” in some cases?

Gestalt is defined as a physical, biological, or symbolic configuration or pattern of elements that is so unified as a whole that its attributes cannot be determined by adding up its pieces. Gestalt theory provides a new perspective on learning.

Gestalt as a concept and Gestalt Theory as a theory arose in opposition to Behaviorism’s emphasis on empiricism and positivistic knowledge.

German psychologists Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, and Kurt Koffka were all interested in the role of the human mind in perception. They were particularly interested in how the mind makes sense of the world—how we sift all of the information we receive from our senses on a moment-by-moment basis. They were particularly eager to show that the human mind has a significant impact on what it senses. They wanted to show that humans are more than just stimulus-response machines.

[jamesodell2]

Gestalt Theory

In this post I will be talking about and discussing the gestalt theory in depth and explaining why this connects to the previous workshop ‘Into The Field’. At the start of the workshop this theory was suggested to us so that we could research it and gather a greater understanding behind the concept of the theory and take it under consideration in future practical experiments/outcomes. I will be explaining what gestalt theory is and how this is and could be incorporated within my practical outcomes.

What is Gestalt Theory?

Gestalt theory is a psychology term which comes under the meaning of ‘unified whole’. This theory comes under and refers to the theory of visual perception which was developed by the Germans in the 1920′s. This theory tends to describe how people organise their elements into groups or unified wholes when certain principles are applied. Gestalt theory is made up of five principles which means we don't simple focus on one certain component. These five principles are similarity, continuation, closure, proximity and figure. The next part of this post will explain each principle in more depth and understanding.

Similarity > This principle occurs when objects look the same or similar when placed near each other. People often mistake this for pattern or grouping.

This symbol occurs because of the triangle shapes at the bottom of the eagle which look similar to the ones that form the sunburst.

Continuation > This happens when the human eye is compelled to move across or through an object onto another object as shown below.  

This clearly shows the continuation between the letter and the leaf which passes you over/across the page using each object as a stepping stone.

Closure > This principle occurs when an image is unfinished and enclosed, there is many good examples of this and causes the image to work well the the native space on show.

Proximity > This principle occurs when elements are placed close together, these usually get percieved as a group or grouping. The image below is a clear example of proximity and the other shows placement without proximity.

This example below is a grouping not proximity

Figure and ground > The eye differentiates an object to form its surrounding area, a form, sillouette or a shape is usually percieved as a figure while the surrounding area is percieved as ground (background)

Why this relates my work and the Final major Project is because of the of the use of these principle which may be involved with our comics and if not to see if they could be included and thought about to push our outcomes aswell as our understanding for the theory its self.  A interesting principle to think about when putting together my observational comics would be proximity of the layout, this could be explored by overlaying and connecting the images together to resemble a clear pathway for the audience to follow the narrative. Another principle I want to explore and gain a greater understanding behind would be closure, this is because I really like the outcomes which can be produced when using this principle. To gain confidence in this I will create a couple of primary sketches using this technique to show exploration and then show this in my layout by taking away the box containing the image.

Overall I feel as this post has enabled me to gain a greater understanding behind the theory ‘Gestalt’ which I can now use when analysing other influential artists work and even my own. Also this could be used in my specialist of typography and poster design to create exciting visual effects to attract the target audiences attention.

sources:

> Gestalt theory http://graphicdesign.spokanefalls.edu/tutorials/process/gestaltprinciples/gestaltprinc.htm Accessed 26th April 2018

[slightlymanicbutfabulous-blog]

Gastalt Theory

Gastalt theory is based around the idea that people tend to organise visual information into groups (unified wholes), leading the viewer sometimes see’s information incorrectly.  Gastalt theory tries to explain how people organise visual information into groups when specific principles are applied.

Similarity.  Similar objects are grouped together, people perceive them as a pattern which creates a whole.  In design similarity is used to create whole objects or to create an anomaly within the similar objects creating a focal point.

Continuation.  Continuation is used to make the eye follow a specific pathway. Enabling the designer to create links for example, between typography and illustration which both relate to a specific brand or product.

Closure.  As an artist I use this principle quite often, it’s easier to make a whole looking image by leaving gaps for the imagination to fill in. This can create a more realistic image, surprisingly enough!

Proximity.  Proximity of a pattern or shapes determines whether the design is seen as a whole object or many individual objects.  Without similarity and proximity objects may look as though they a separate elements but when placed closer together quickly become whole.

Figure and Ground. This refers to the idea that our eye tries to constantly differentiate the object from its surroundings, often why we find eye teaser books so interesting, it take the brain a little bit more work when an object is difficult to pick from its surroundings.  With this principle there are options to create an interesting graphic piece or to keep things simple and audible for the viewer.

"The Gestalt Principles." Graphic Design at Spokane Falls Community College (blog). n.d. http://graphicdesign.spokanefalls.edu/tutorials/process/gestaltprinciples/gestaltprinc.htm.

"What is Gestalt Theory? Definition and Meaning." BusinessDictionary.com (blog). n.d. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/gestalt-theory.html.

[dianitafernanda]

#animation #aftereffects #ks #dancingks #prettywoman #royorbison #symmetry #proximity #motiondesign 😵👁 #Gestalt #GestaltPrinciples #gestaltprinciplesfordesign (at Bradley Hall)