Gestalt Principles of Perception

Example: iTunes Store Website
Photo source: iTunes Store Website

Law of Common Fate

Figure 4.1.1 Slideshow highlighted in yellow shows Law of Common Fate.

   



     In law of common fate, things moving together in the same direction are seen as one collective unit.
     This law can be seen in the upper part of the iTunes interface, as shown in Figure 4.1.1 whereby there are slideshow of banners promoting the latest items on the iTunes Store. The way the banners move in visibility attracts our attention when we go to the website. Hence the interface cleverly employs the law of common fate as it is human nature to perceive dynamic objects better than static ones because dynamic or moving objects are more noticeable and attractive.

Law of Good Continuation

Figure 4.1.2 Law of Good Continuation.

     Law of Good Continuation states that items that are aligned together in certain rows or direction tend to be seen as a group.
     Taking the sidebar on the right of the iTunes interface as an example (seen in Figure 4.1.2), the items are perceived as being sorted in different groups according to the categories of items. These perceptions of group items are being aided by law of good continuation simply by placing the items closer to one another and having a gap between the next category. We are also able to distinguish the different categories of items as the font of the titles is different than the font of the items. Moreover, the first items from each category are also accompanied by a small icon, helping us to easily discern them as groups.

Law of Similarity

Figure 4.1.3 Law of Similarity.

 


     Law of Similarity helps us to group together items that are similar. We usually classify similar shapes to the same group and then associate them with some meaning.
     Almost the entire iTunes interface utilizes this law in their design. Firstly, the different categories of items are designed with different sizes and features. For example, the songs category (highlighted in yellow on top of Figure 4.1.3) has smaller icons and is aligned differently from other categories. The apps category (highlighted in orange at the bottom of Figure 4.1.3) can also be easily distinguish as they are slightly smaller and have rounded edges compared to the album category (highlighted in red).
These designs help viewers scan data quickly and effortlessly as it manipulates the law of similarity which automatically group similar shapes and design together.