Universal Principles of Design, Updated and Expanded Third Edition

084 Good Continuation

The brain automatically assumes elements in motion continue in their established directions.

Good continuation, one of the Gestalt principles of perception, asserts that elements will be perceived as a group when they lie along continuous lines with few interruptions or changes. In other words, elements arranged in a straight line or along a smooth curve are perceived as a unit (more related than unaligned elements). This automatic grouping makes the elements easier to visually process and remember. For example, speed markings on a speedometer are easily interpreted as a group because they are aligned along a linear or circular path.1

The principle of good continuation also explains why lines will generally be perceived ...