The law of closure is a visual perception law—or Gestalt principle—that describes how humans have a natural inclination to perceive incomplete or fragmented visual elements as a complete object. The brain typically fills in the gaps in an image where there are missing parts to perceive a unified and coherent form.
The Law of Closure — The Mind Fills in the Blanks
The Gestalt law or principle of closure is a recognized fundamental concept in the fields of design and visual perception. It comes from the 1920s’ German Gestalt school of psychology. The Gestalt psychologists explored how humans perceive and interpret visual stimuli and simplify complex images in certain ways. Gestalt is a German word that means “shape.” More precisely—in this context—it refers to an organized whole that is more than the sum of its parts.
The principle of closure is a grouping law of visual perception. According to the Gestalt psychologists, humans tend to perceive patterns using five main categories. These are the principle of proximity, the principle of similarity, the principle of continuity, the principle of closure and the principle of connectedness (or uniform connectedness).
The principle of closure at work—a dark triangle, even if the viewer sees three “Pac Man”-like heads “talking” to one another
© Craig Barber, Fair Use
How Does The Law of Closure Work in Design?
Closure holds great importance in various design disciplines—including graphic design, user experience (UX) design and user interface (UI) design. When designers understand and apply this principle, they can create powerful visual designs—ones that are more engaging, memorable and effective in getting information across to users.
One of the key reasons why the principle of closure is important in design is the mind’s ability to simplify complex visuals fast and make a meaningful whole from individual elements. As with other principles like the law of continuity, this is a handy technique from the days of survival in the wild. Early humans had little time to perceive objects that were potentially hazardous, namely moving ones.
The principle of closure is something that turns up in various aspects of modern, everyday human life—and these range from how people recognize shapes and objects, to how they interpret symbols and logos. When designers use incomplete or fragmented elements, they can guide the viewer's eye. With that, they can encourage these users to mentally fill in those parts that are missing. This technique helps cut down on visual clutter; plus, it allows for a more streamlined and cohesive design.
What’s more, a good application of the principle of closure helps the user be more able to recognize and interpret the visual information in front of them quickly. The process is automatic—that’s because the mind strives to recognize the intended form or object, anyway. This cognitive process is something that users experience naturally—to comprehend and navigate through visuals more efficiently. A better user experience results.
The law of closure doesn’t just improve visual communication and the overall user experience—it adds depth and interest to designs, too. When they leverage the viewer's active participation in completing the missing parts—and do it well—designers can create visuals that are both visually intriguing and evoke curiosity. This engagement can help capture the viewer's attention and leave a lasting impression with a brand.
Closure “permits” viewers to question things as well as see them.
© Eva Shicker, Fair Use
Getting Closure on Closure – The Evidence for It
The principle of closure has been the subject of extensive study through empirical research and observations. Numerous studies have shown that users and viewers do indeed respond to closure in visual stimuli. The German psychologists Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler and Kurt Koffka provided early evidence of how humans perceive and respond to closure through experiments involving such stimuli.
In more recent studies, neuroscientists have used brain imaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). They’ve done this to look closely at the neural processes that are associated with closure perception. These studies have shown that when individuals encounter incomplete or fragmented visual stimuli, specific areas of the brain that are responsible for recognizing and completing patterns become active. This neural activity suggests that the brain automatically fills in the missing parts so the person can make out a complete object from an incomplete form.
Another point is that user testing and user feedback in design projects have consistently shown that closure plays a large role in how users perceive and understand visuals. Designs that effectively use closure principles tend to bring positive responses from users—responses that include increased engagement, improved comprehension and enhanced memorability.
Although the viewer can still tell B is a circle, A is more obviously one with closure.
© Alita Joyce, Fair Use
Benefits of Using the Law of Closure in UX Design
When designers apply closure well, they can make effective use of users’ tendency to fill in the blanks in images. Closure helps to:
1. Simplify Complex Information
Closure boosts the user's ability to understand and navigate through the interface—a phenomenon that leads to a more intuitive and efficient user experience.
2. Enhance Visual Engagement
Closure adds depth and interest to designs—and makes them visually engaging. Since it’s about getting the viewer actively involved in completing missing parts, closure can capture attention and make a memorable impression.
3. Facilitate Pattern Recognition
Closure helps when it comes to pattern recognition—letting users quickly spot and make sense of visual elements. Users—from mentally completing missing parts—can recognize forms or objects that are familiar to them. This fact enables efficient information processing and decision-making.
The viewer can fill in the missing information at a glance, such as the two other heads.
© PBS, Fair Use
How and When to Apply the Law of Closure
UI and UX designers can apply the law or principle of closure when they use the key technique of utilizing incomplete or fragmented visual elements. They intentionally incorporate these in their design work to encourage the viewer's participation in completing the missing parts. Main uses of closure include:
Logo Design
Designers frequently use the law of closure in logo design. With this principle, they can create logos that are simple yet intriguing—logos that feature simple or abstract shapes which come into view easily for the user. For instance, they make logos that use negative space to suggest that there’s a shape or object that isn't explicitly drawn. This doesn’t just make the design more engaging; it helps in brand recall, too. For example, the World Wildlife Fund’s panda logo—with its iconic form—is an embodiment of the law of closure.
The World Wildlife Fund’s iconic panda logo is an example of closure in the wild—as outlined here.
© Tangient LL. Fair Use
Interface Icons
Icons are an integral part of any interface—and they serve as visual cues for various actions or functions. Whenever they use the law of closure, designers can make icons that are minimalist yet effective—ones that users can easily recognize and understand.
On this Google Slides’ piece, the shape icon of a circle appears over what the human eye sees as a square.
© Alita Joyce, Fair Use
Signaling Additional Content
Designers also leverage the law of closure to indicate the presence of additional content and encourage interaction. For example, showing only parts of an item in a carousel tells users that more items lie past the visible area. Even if users can't guess the exact details of the partly displayed item, the fact that it’s incomplete suggests they can find more. Intrigued, they will feel prompted to interact with the digital product.
Carousels utilize the principle of closure here.
© Craig Barber, Fair Use
Best Practices to Apply the Law of Closure
It takes thoughtful consideration to apply closure to user interfaces. Design elements and their arrangement need to become meaningful instantaneously.
Some best practices and tips on how to effectively apply the principle of closure to UI design include the following:
1. Simplify Visual Elements
Designers do this to lessen unneeded complexity. Don’t clutter the interface with excessive details—this can keep users from perceiving closure. Instead, focus on using clean lines, minimalistic shapes and forms that are easy for users to recognize.
2. Use Negative Space Strategically
Negative space—also called white space—plays a crucial role in closure perception. So, use negative space in a strategic way to create implied shapes or forms. Carefully arrange and balance the empty areas around visual elements to help users mentally complete the missing parts and so they perceive a coherent whole.
Closure and space – important parts in a design strategy to help users find their way, right away.
© Travis Jones, Fair Use
3. Maintain Consistency in Design
Consistency in design is a vital thing for closure perception, so establish consistent visual patterns—like using similar shapes, colors or styles for related elements. Consistency helps viewers mentally group these elements together and then perceive them as a unified entity.
4. Leverage Other Gestalt Principles
Other Gestalt principles—like proximity, similarity and common fate—can enhance how users perceive closure. So, use these principles to organize visual elements in a way that encourages viewers to mentally group them and perceive them as being a cohesive whole.
5. Consider Context and User Expectations
Think about the users’ context: what are they typically doing? Where are they? How many steps must they take to complete a goal? Designers need to know the user journey regarding how users encounter the design. An understanding of the user scenario is vital for designers to grasp—and understand well—and work with the expectations of the target users. So, design elements should fall into line with the users' mental models and expectations; that will make it easier for them to complete the missing parts. A design that’s too abstract or that diverges a great deal from user expectations may keep them from being able to perceive closure.
6. Design Minimalist Icons
Do this to give users an easy advantage and help them on their way. The less “busy” an icon looks, the better—and closure is a smart and economical tool to hint at function.
7. Use Closure to Indicate The Presence of Additional Content
Do this to encourage interaction—for example—in a carousel or below the fold in the screen. It’s especially vital to signal to users this way if important options aren’t readily visible on the screen that loads for them.
8. Test and Iterate
Conduct user testing and collect the feedback to assess how effective the users’ perception of closure is in your UI design. Iterate and refine the design based on user insights to ensure a seamless and intuitive user experience. User feedback will provide valuable insights into how users perceive and interact with the design, and visual closure—like other Gestalt principles—is a fundamental area to trial.
Users will be the ones to determine how successful a design is in the wild.
© Eduard Volianskyi, Fair Use
What Else do Designers Need to Know about The Law of Closure?
There are important factors to bear in mind when it comes to designing with the principle of closure—and here are some of them:
1. Cognitive Load
Think about what sort of cognitive load closure perception may put on users. Closure can simplify visuals, indeed, but it may also call for some mental effort from users to complete the missing parts. Designers should strike a balance between closure and cognitive load—a crucial thing to help make sure of a seamless user experience.
2. Ambiguity and Misinterpretation
Consider the contextual relevance of closure in a design—closure mightn’t be applicable or effective in all contexts. So, assess whether closure is in line with the goals, content and target users of a UX design project. It should enhance the user experience and not create confusion or ambiguity. Inconsistent or incorrect interpretations will work against the design message. Ensure that users mentally complete missing parts in the same way, to make the same meaning.
3. Accessibility
Make sure that closure doesn’t hinder accessibility for users with visual impairments or cognitive challenges. As with color, shape and other factors, design elements should be perceivable and understandable without relying heavily on closure perception. Give users alternative ways to understand and interact with the interface for a more inclusive experience.
4. Balance
If designers add too many details in an image intended to trigger the closure response, it will defeat the purpose. An image needs to cue users to do the “automatic” work of completing the picture mentally, not feed them the whole story directly. Meanwhile, providing too little information will make it difficult for users to fill in the gaps. That sort of hesitation can lead to confusion and frustration. So, when it comes to segmenting content or page elements, consider just how much of that element will be on screen. What’s more, look at whether it's enough to communicate value and function.
5. Below-the-Fold and Mobile UI Concerns
Also be careful with the fold, especially on smaller screens. A tangent issue of closure is that users might assume a screen is complete because their minds have filled in the blanks prematurely. So, be sure that the users feel prompted to move or scroll down for more essential information or calls-to-action.
The segmented objects of Lucid appeared beyond the screen—to tell users they could swipe horizontally to discover more content.
© Alita Joyce, Fair Use
6. Test and Test Again
Testing is the only way to make sure that users can get the full picture. For example, can they understand what an icon represents right away? Designers may need to simplify the visual complexity of icons. User testing will show if users can decipher elements quickly, as well as how their perceptions may diverge if any elements need tweaking.
Overall, the law or principle of closure is a common and handy resource in a designer’s toolbox and a tried-and-tested design decision to include. Still, it can be difficult to apply to great effect at first. While designers shouldn’t underestimate its potential, neither should they underestimate the thought and strategy that are needed to leverage it best.
As with visual hierarchy and color theory, principles like the Gestalt law of closure are essential to master in user interface design. Designers who understand the power of such tools can use them to create visually compelling and cohesive designs that resonate with their target audience, optimize user experience and drive engagement further with their design work.
Good use of closure can help brands signal an iconic look simply and effectively as household names.
© Carrefour, Fair Use
