Many will list the Law of Prägnanz as one of the principles of grouping, rather than an overarching principle that explains the others. Some lists will include more principles that are not seen here. Not every list you see will include all of these principles. Over time, as more research has been done, they have been renamed as the principles of grouping. Originally, the principles of grouping were called the laws of grouping. The principles of grouping break down how the mind groups, categorizes, or “follows” elements to create a more simple or orderly image. We don’t see an item with a cover, back cover, and over 100 individual pages. That’s why, when we look at an image of a book, we see one item. It’s more simple to see one whole image rather than the sum of its parts. It translates to “pithiness,” or “orderliness.” This law suggests that the mind looks for orderliness or simplicity when looking at images. (This is also known as the Law of Good Gestalt.) Prägnanz is also a German word. Law of PrägnanzĪll of the principles of grouping speak to the Law of Prägnanz. After all, if we don’t want to look at a product’s packaging or website, we’re probably not interested in buying it. These principles have served as guidelines for designers, marketers, and anyone who wants to build a satisfying image. That’s because our mind defaults to grouping objects or elements together to form patterns or categories.

In order to recognize all of these things, we do have to intentionally turn our focus to them. This includes the patterns on the wall, the details in the floor, and any other individual objects that you could turn your focus to at any given moment. Think about everything that you can see around you, right now. Gestalt psychologists looks at the way that our mind recognizes forms and patterns. No, “Gestalt” is not the name of a psychologist who contributed to this work. Gestalt Psychology was first proposed by Austrian and German psychologists Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, and Kurt Koffka. The Gestalt Principles of Grouping are a small part of the larger Gestalt Psychology. Gestalt Principles explain how we see images and why certain images are soothing or satisfying. The answer has to do with the way our minds work – or at least this is what Gestalt psychology says. Why does it feel so soothing when things fall into place or fit just right? Have you ever watched a video or seen a GIF that was just…oddly satisfying? Or maybe you can relate to the episode of The Office when they wait patiently for the DVD graphic to fit perfectly in the bottom corner of the screen.

E xs max the talos principle images