Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated
by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, Jill Butler
Proximity
Elements that are close together are perceived to be more related than elements that are farther apart.
The principle of proximity is one of several principles referred to as Gestalt principles of perception. It asserts that elements close together are perceived as a single group or chunk, and are interpreted as being more related than elements that are farther apart. For example, a simple matrix of dots can be interpreted as consisting of multiple rows, multiple columns, or as a uniform matrix, depending on the relative horizontal and vertical proximities of the dots.1
The grouping resulting from proximity reduces the complexity of designs and reinforces the relatedness of the elements. Conversely, a lack of proximity results in the ...
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