Universal Principles of Design, Updated and Expanded Third Edition

137 Perspective Cues

Visual properties that create the perception of depth and three-dimensionality.

People have evolved to see things as three-dimensional whenever possible—even when the things are clearly not three-dimensional. The following visual cues are commonly used to encourage the perception of three-dimensional relationships.¹

• Interposition—When overlapping objects are presented, the overlapped object is perceived to be farther away than the overlapping object.
• Size—When two similar objects of different size are presented together, the smaller object is perceived to be farther away than the larger object. The size of familiar objects can be used to indicate the size and depth of unfamiliar objects.
• Elevation—When two objects are presented ...