

This can be a really creative technique in logo design –not only can it help you bind visual logo elements, but also help you bind a tagline or a company’s name to a pictorial mark.īy the way, did you notice, the NBC logo also makes use of closure? You can see the incomplete peacock form in the logo because of the proximity and pattern of the elements! 4. Because each shape is the same, it is perceived as a unified whole, even with the color difference. The benefit of this principle is that it can help you link different parts of your logo together.įor example, the NBC logo uses the same petal shape, in different colors, to create the wings of the peacock. This similarity can be explored in terms of size, color, texture or shapes. The law of similarity from the gestalt principles states that if the individual elements share some kind of similar traits, the human brain will organize them in a group and perceive them as a whole. You will find you can come up with some very creative pieces this way, which allow you to create unique brand marks! As a logo designer, if you want to experiment with closure, just dabble with some negative space and see what you can make out of it. Probably one of the most famous logos that illustrate this principle is the WWF logo. This principle states that the human brain has a tendency to seek out patterns, and if the right amount of information is presented, the brain will use it to complete the pattern. Have you seen those cool logos that make use of negative space? Or the logos which don’t really have closed shapes, but our brain instantly completes the shape for us? This is the law of closure working here, which is one of the gestalt principles. For example, if the food mobile is very famous for its fish, the fish icon may become an identity symbol of its own, and can be used on the social media and webpage. This is because it has room to introduce unique, individual elements which may even be used independently by the brand. Proximity is a great principle which can be explored by logo designers to create a winning brand mark.

For example, in the above logo, the car shape is made up of many different individual elements, all of which represent the versatility of the food offered by the food mobile –however, because they are grouped together so closely, our brain perceives them as a holistic shape –in the shape of a car. When individual elements are very close to each other, the human brain perceives them as a whole, in a different shape. Here is how the Gestalt Principles can help you create cohesive brand marks and logos: 1. A successful logo can serve as a brand mark, where it can be simplified or amped up to convert into a mascot, picture, initial or even any other design element. Brand marks are all the visual elements that help identify a brand –these include a logo, pictures, colors, and the overall design look. Great businesses do not only focus on creating a logo, but they also focus on creating brand marks. Let’s see how this theory comes together in logo design, and how it can help you create brand marks that leave an impression on the viewer. In design, the gestalt theory makes us see that the design will be perceived in an ‘over-all’ manner or as a group, and the gestalt principles help us achieve our desired outlook in logos. This has been a ground-breaking concept which has lent much support to graphic design. The conclusion was that a group of objects is greater than its sum –or that it is perceived as more than its individual elements it is seen as something different than the parts that make it up. The background of the Gestalt theory goes back to the early 20th century when some psychologists analyzed and presented a theory about how human beings visually perceive objects. The word Gestalt has become something of a buzz-word in the design world –many have already heard about it, but not all are familiar with its usage. Today, we will look into a very interesting theory of design that can help you out in making unique and successful logos. If you are a new or intermediate designer, knowing some concrete design theory can help you in making informed design decisions. Great logos are very deliberate, comprising of willful design decisions –nothing is accidental, everything is planned and thoughtful. However, it is when some concrete principles refine that innate sense and bring the unconsciousness into consciousness, great design is born. Graphic designers often have an innate sense of design.
