Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated

Good Continuation

Elements arranged in a straight line or a smooth curve are perceived as a group, and are interpreted as being more related than elements not on the line or curve.

Good continuation is one of several principles referred to as Gestalt principles of perception. It asserts that aligned elements are perceived as a single group or chunk, and are interpreted as being more related than unaligned elements. 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 as maintaining their established directions, versus branching or bending abruptly. For example, two V-shaped ...