<aside> ℹ️ Law of proximity is part of the Gestalt Laws of Perceptual Organization, and it states that objects that are near, or proximate to each other, tend to be grouped together. To put it in simpler terms, our brain can easily associate objects close to each other, better than it does objects that are spaced far apart. This clustering occurs because humans have a natural tendency to organise and group things together.

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“The Law of Proximity states that objects that are near, or proximate to each other, tend to be grouped together”

In the example above, there are 72 circles. We recognise the circles in groups, based on the distance between them. Categorically, we also perceive that there’s a group of 36 circles on the left side of the image, and 3 groups of 12 circles on the right side of the image.

This example makes it clear that there is a need to group things together when designing a UI, as well as the importance of being careful when putting things together since users may naturally think they are associated with each other.

Takeaways

1. Proximity helps to establish a relationship with nearby objects.
2. Elements in close proximity are perceived to share similar functionality or traits.
3. Proximity helps users understand and organize information faster and more efficiently.

Resources

• Gestalt Principles of Design — Proximity
• Proximity Principle in Visual Design
• Laws of Proximity, Uniform Connectedness, and Continuation – Gestalt Principles
• The Psychology Principles Every UI/UX Designer Needs to Know
• Design Principles: Visual Perception And The Principles Of Gestalt