Gestalt Principles and the Laws of UX: Part 3 - The Law of Proximity

The scientific principles I use every day designing in tools like Figma were predominantly researched and documented between 1912 and 1960 - before the invention of computers and mobile phones or the gurus of UX at NNG.

Each week I am going to release a new Law of UX. This week is the first of the Gestalt Principles - The Law of Proximity.

Don't want to wait? You can read my take on 9 Laws of UX in the full post on my website.

Objects that are near, or proximate to each other, tend to be grouped together.

This principle tells us that things close to each other are seen as connected. In UX design, it's about placing related elements together. For instance, if you have a profile picture on a social media app, the username, message button, and friend request button should be close by, so users know they are connected to that profile. This makes it easier for people to navigate and interact with the app.

On Stripe checkout page, the ‘Amount’, ‘Promotion Code’ and ‘Payment Method’ are grouped in the left hand column. The form fields for "Shipping Address" and "Shipping Method" are grouped closely together in the right hand column.

The Law of Proximity 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 organise information faster and more efficiently.