Grouping

Organising the scene.

Gestalt principles

The visual system groups by proximity, similarity, continuity, closure and common motion. These principles are the foundation of visual design as well as of perception research.

Figure and ground separation decides what is object and what is background.
Ambiguous images flip between interpretations because both are valid.

Applied

Interface design, charts and typography all depend on these grouping rules. Ignoring them produces layouts people find tiring without knowing why.