Objects that are near, or proximate to each other, tend to be grouped together.
Takeaways
- Proximity helps to establish a relationship with nearby objects.
- Elements in close proximity are perceived to share similar functionality or traits.
- Proximity helps users understand and organize information faster and more efficiently.
Examples
Google Search Results
The spacing between each result on Google’s search results page contributes to the overall scannability of the page but also helps to effectively group each result as a related cluster of information.
Origins
The principles of grouping (or Gestalt laws of grouping) are a set of principles in psychology, first proposed by Gestalt psychologists to account for the observation that humans naturally perceive objects as organized patterns and objects, a principle known as Prägnanz. Gestalt psychologists argued that these principles exist because the mind has an innate disposition to perceive patterns in the stimulus based on certain rules. These principles are organized into five categories: Proximity, Similarity, Continuity, Closure, and Connectedness.