Have you ever visited a website and know where you need to click and what you need to do without having to read or think too much? This isn’t a coincidence. It is purely using psychology. Designers are able to incorporate Gestalt principles in UI design use through their understanding of visual components. The theory of Gestalt means, in German, a shape or a form; thus, a Gestalt theory is a theory in regards to a shape or a structure. A website that is designed to be in congruence with the mental shortcuts of its users makes the website intuitive and easy to use. A website that does not incorporate mental shortcuts will cause friction or issues which may lead to users abandoning the website.
The Brain’s Shortcut: Proximity & Similarity
The study of proximity and similarity design helps us understand how we sort and store information. Proximity means that people perceive things that are close together as related. For example, if you look at a web menu and see that all of the “Services” buttons are close together and separated from the “Contact” button by a large white space, the user will consider the services to be one whole entity.
Similarity also functions the same. If a user sees multiple “Add to Cart” buttons, and all of them are the same shade of orange, that user will learn that on your site, orange is associated with a certain action. This is one example of using cognitive psychology in UX in order to “speak” with your customers without the need for instructions.
Creating a Natural Flow: Visual Hierarchy UX
Utilizing psychological triggers craft solid visual hierarchy UX. You want to guide the user’s eye to the correct order of what to see first, second, and third. You do this by manipulating the “weight” of the different elements. A large, bold, heading along with a high-contrast image will win the battle of attention over a small text block.
Knowing how users interrelate different things helps to foreground your key call-to-action (CTA) and to place the subordinate information, in a background, arranged in order. When each element on the page is trying to be the “hero,” nothing gets highlighted, and the user is overwhelmed.
Important Gestalt Principles for Your Interface
| Principle | Description | Real-World UI Example |
| Proximity | Users perceive items close to one another as a single group. | Labels directly positioned above their corresponding input fields. |
| Similarity | Users associate functions to set shapes and colors. | All primary buttons are designed in the same color. |
| Closure | Users’ brains fill in the gaps. | A loading icon designed with a gap in a circle. |
| Continuity | Users’ eyes prefer the smoothest path. | A horizontally scrollable line of product images. |
The Laws of Closure and Figure Ground
When we look at a layout, we perceive different elements and sections as foreground and background components. In UI design, this is why designers use background blurring and shadowing/elevation—it cues the viewer, “Focus on this module. Everything else is irrelevant for now.”
The “Law of Closure” also explains how the viewer’s mind is always trying to complete a picture. A trademark of this is logo design and incomplete grids of product cards at the edge of a viewport. When a user sees an incomplete grid, it sends a signal to them, “There’s more content. Please scroll,” without an arrow or anything that suggests there’s a continuation. This is a positive design method to create content “infinity” for users to keep exploring your store.
The Importance of Cognitive Psychology in UX
In a hyper-competitive marketplace like Dubai, you are not just competing for a sale, but for a user’s focus. Gaps in the flow and poor directions will lose you customers, as users won’t invest the time to “solve” the flow. By applying cognitive psychology in UX, your store’s design will be “smart” and greatly reduce cognitive load for the user.
A website created according to these guidelines feels professional and “peaceful”. It has a respectful way of dealing with the time of its visitors by simplifying the purchase process and making it as clear as possible. Regardless of whether you are collaborating with a website design company Dubai or developing a layout on your own, these psychological principles are what separates an okay looking site from one that converts.
Conclusion: Designing with the Brain in Mind
The goal is not to design for a screen. But for humans. While technology changes rapidly, the way we visually process information has not changed in thousands of years. You are using Gestalt principles in UI design to create a link between your business objectives and your customers’ instincts.