Simply put, gestalt is the idea that a whole is comprised of parts, and all those parts are necessary to achieve the whole.
I analysed the following website, taking into consideration the principles and laws of Gestalt Psychology. https://www.mendix.com/
- Figure and Ground* — — The main image is placed centre of the landing page and is evidently the most important thing you see. It is almost as if a light is shining on it, compared to the rest of the background. The white text on darker, blurred background, also stands out so it creates a sharp contrast, which immediately draws the eye, and ‘invited’ you in! The user does not need to think much about their next steps or wonder about the product itself.
- Law of Proximity* — — The top navigation elements, “The Platform” + “Why Mendix” + “Made with Mendix” are all grouped together, so this makes it clear these items are related. The menu items clearly belong to the same group. The logo all the way on the left belongs to a different category because it’s further away.
- Common region* — — The center of the page has three main items (not all similar) but grouped in the same region. The elements read: “Where Thinkers” + “An image of a thinker” + “Become Makers”. This also communicates how the platform works, with a similarity to the ‘drag and drop’ layout of building apps with low code. This is simple yet effectively portraying their message of ‘making things easy’.
- Law of Similarity* — — For the navigation elements on top, the law of similarity also applies, as all the menu items share the same font size, weight and color. When the page is loaded, the first three items that pop up, are the items: “Where thinkers” + “An image of a thinker” + “Become Makers”. These items work together and communicate your “window into app building”, which shows an engineer (who could be you), thinking about ideas, and ultimately turning them into a reality!
- Law of Closure* — — When the page is loaded, the user would first see broken white lines appearing to form a rectangle around an image, which the viewer then interprets as the outline of a mobile phone application. This is simple but has been done incredibly well, because Mendix is all about allowing developers (and others) the chance to seamlessly build apps via cloud native architecture and integrated tools, in half the time. By using this law, it lets the user ‘fill in the gaps’ around their own visions.
*Do the principles of gestalt psychology have a visibly evident impact in practice when you look out for it? In other words, can you actually see the logic behind its use?*
The Gestalt principles and laws are able to make or break a design and thus also impact the user experience. Users don’t like cognitive overload, so there is definitely a need to help them stray away from being distracted by details, and for helping the user navigate smoothly along the user path. Personally, I feel more intrigued and excited to use something when it is simple, but professional at the same time. Ultimately, if the user has to use lots of brainpower, just to use your site, they would think again about ever coming back, and therefore jump to find something better! These laws and principles are fundamentals which communicate with the user and therefore it is almost out of respect that it is applied to an interface.
*Does it genuinely make for more intuitive user-paths, or does its absence or contravention make for less intuitive user-paths?*
Yes, Gestalt principles and laws do make the user-path more intuitive, because ultimately the user has a limited time frame, and the goal is not to make them think extensively! Visual communication is powerful, so if done well, it has potential to guide the user effectively to where they need to be, and get the results necessary. It would be in the best interest of all stakeholders, if users, with all types of backgrounds, are able to ‘read’ (patterns) and use the product in a user-friendly manner.
*Can you see any drawbacks or dangers to using gestalt psychology in the visual design of an interface?*
When the Gestalt principles are used incorrectly, it could have an adverse effect. In one instance, if the principles have simply been applied incorrectly (by mistake), it might not achieve the intended outcomes hoped for. In another instance, it could intentionally trick and lead the user to do things that they didn’t mean to, like buying or signing up for something. Some companies take advantage of dark UI patterns to make users skim the page, and therefore make assumptions about it. These laws and principles should be used correctly otherwise there isn’t any point!
