The Gestalt principle of grouping, referring to the spatial or temporal nearness of objects, influences perception. Elements that are close to one another tend to be perceived as a unified group, even if they are dissimilar in shape, size, or color. For example, a series of dots arranged closely together will be seen as a line or cluster, rather than individual points.
This organizational tendency simplifies the visual world, enabling efficient processing of information. It has implications for design, influencing how people perceive layouts, interfaces, and visual presentations. Historically, the principle emerged from Gestalt psychology’s broader efforts to understand how the human mind organizes sensory input into meaningful wholes.
