The Gestalt principles of visual perception describe how our brains make sense of what we see. For example, they explain how we associate a photo with the text of a newspaper article or understand a series of words as a sentence on a billboard. These principles originated from the field of Gestalt psychology in the early twentieth century.

In laying out sketches, I try to consider how a viewer will understand what connects with what, the order in which the viewer will read the sketch with their eye, and how colour or formatting link related elements—skim through the back catalogue to see it in action. In creating each sketch, consciously and unconsciously, I use many of the standard Gestalt principles of design.

There are many Gestalt principles and some variations in the names. I chose seven common principles to illustrate:

Proximity
Objects that are close together are perceived as a group

Similarity
Similar objects are perceived as a group

Continuity
Elements on a line or curve are related

Closure
Completing missing parts of images to create a whole

Figure-Ground
Identifying what's in the foreground or background

Symmetry & Order
Perceiving symmetrical or orderly elements as a group

Common Fate
Objects moving together are perceived as part of a group

The Gestalt principles are helpful for information design, user interface design, user experience design, graphic design and just about any design. It is also fascinating to spot how you unconsciously use them when interpreting designs you see. For example, look at the signs in an airport, a menu, or a page of your favourite app and see which principles are in play.

The Interaction Design Foundation has a great article on the Gestalt principles that explains their use in design in more depth. You'll also find many others.

Gestalt principles

The Village Venus effect describes the experience of someone living in an isolated village and knowing the most beautiful person there. Because the person is the most attractive person they've ever seen, it's easy to think that no one could be more so. Yet, beyond the village is a whole world of people, many of whom could be more beautiful.

The Village Venus effect can remind us that we often think within context and constraints without realising or considering what may be outside them. In that way, it can nudge us to think bigger or look outside our sphere of familiarity.

Travel is always an eye-opener for me. I'm consistently surprised (I should probably get used to it now and stop being surprised) at how ideas or delicious foods from one country or region don't reach others. Sometimes, the simplest way to innovate is to learn what people already do elsewhere.

In design research projects, we deliberately went on inspiration trips to broaden our thinking and escape the Village Venus Effect, often looking at adjacent industries. For example, when working on a premium sports equipment project, you could visit premium food stores to see what makes a food premium. Working in the US, I consistently found Asian stores a great source of inspiration for thinking wider.

I remember each time I went to the next level of my education (primary, secondary, college, Masters, PhD) whether, even though I had achieved well at my current level, I would fit in with the next calibre of students.

The Village Venus effect is related to the challenge of local optimisation—not realising there may be a higher level elsewhere—and the Dunning-Kruger effect, where it's hard to evaluate your level before you know how good "the best" can be. It's also an example of something Daniel Kahneman called What You See Is All There Is—WYSIATI.

If you're hiring and you interview five candidates, should you hire the best of those you've seen, or could there be a set of candidates in a different pool who would all be a better fit than those you've spoken with?

How many builders should you meet with before you're confident you have one who'll do an excellent job for your project?

How often do we unintentionally limit our choices by only looking at the immediate options presented to us?

The Village Venus is a term from lateral thinking originator Edward De Bono.

For a funnier take on the Village Venus watch Flight of the Conchords, The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room.

Things get more complex before they get simple

Lateral thinking: increasing the breadth of options

Lateral thinking: you don't have to be right at every step

The Village Venus Effect

What type of problem are you dealing with? James Clear shared a technique of splitting problems into two types: muddy puddles or leaky ceilings.

A muddy puddle problem is one where leaving it alone can help to make it clearer.

A leaky ceiling problem is one where leaving it alone causes more problems.

Leaky ceilings need resolving soon. Muddy puddles can be left until they are clearer.

Here's James Clear explaining it in his own words:

"I split problems into two groups: muddy puddles and leaky ceilings.

Some problems are like muddy puddles. The way to clear a muddy puddle is to leave it alone. The more you mess with it, the muddier it becomes. Many of the problems I dream up when I'm overthinking or worrying or ruminating fall into this category. Is life really falling apart or am I just in a sour mood? Is this as hard as I'm making it or do I just need to go workout? Drink some water. Go for a walk. Get some sleep. Go do something else and give the puddle time to turn clear.

Other problems are like a leaky ceiling. Ignore a small leak and it will always widen. Relationship tension that goes unaddressed. Overspending that becomes a habit. One missed workout drifting into months of inactivity. Some problems multiply when left unattended. You need to intervene now.

Are you dealing with a leak or a puddle?"

Also see: lateral thinking sketches, The XY Problem, Point Positive, Solvitur Ambulando

Muddy puddles, leaky ceilings

One of the few books I've read all in one sitting is Metaphors We Live By, by George Lakoff. It was so fascinating learning how some of the most fundamental concepts we use to govern our lives are understood through metaphor. For example, one understanding of time is through our experience of space, so it seems natural to say, the hard times are behind us, or, I'm looking forward to the future. Or that Ideas Are Objects so you can give someone an idea, or toss a few ideas around. Or that Understanding Is Grasping, so you can get the idea, or get to grips with a concept.

Primary metaphor is a theory of how these metaphorical understandings may form when we're young as we associate abstract ideas with direct experience.

So it's natural that, when we're young, important things are often big and can exert control over us, leading to Important Is Big — Tomorrow's a big day, it's just a little thing, It was a huge deal.

Or experiencing warmth when we feel affection leading to Affection Is Warmth — he greeted me warmly, she gave me the cold shoulder.

Or how sometimes to know something is to see something, such as when we find out what's in a box by seeing what's in a box, leading to Knowing Is Seeing — I see what you mean, that's clear to me know, I'm feeling in the dark on that, let's shed some light on the matter.

Other examples of primary metaphor from Philosophy in the Flesh by Lakoff and Johnson include:

More Is Up — from seeing things increase in height when there is more of them eg the prices are rising

Difficulties Are Burdens — from difficult things literally being harder to deal with eg I'm feeling a bit weighed down at the moment

States Are Locations — from associating experiences with actual places eg I'm in a rut right now, but I'll get out of it.

Bad Is Stinky — from bad things actually smelling bad eg that movie stinks

Purposes Are Destinations — from achieving goals when we get somewhere such as having a drink eg I'm going to be a star but I'm not there yet

There are many more, plus the whole world of metaphor guiding how we construct our place in the world is fascinating.

The theory of primary metaphor is from Joseph Grady.

If the gif is annoying here are individual static images (and prints) for: Primary metaphor (print), Knowing Is Seeing (print), Affection Is Warmth (print)

Primary metaphor

Solvitur ambulando: This phrase from the Greek philosopher Diogenes translates more or less to ‘it is solved by walking’. And, indeed, there is something about walking that helps both clear the mind and think clearly.

Try a walk to get a different perspective on a problem when you’ve been banging your head against one sat at your desk. Or try a walking meeting with the bonus that you get a bit of exercise in too.

Solvitur ambulando

The classic thinking framework from Edward De Bono. Though I’m yet to be in a meeting where everyone’s familiar enough with it that it wouldn’t sound a bit nuts to propose it. Ah well.

Six thinking hats

There are others too. But these are big ones. Curious? Read Metaphors We Live By was a frame-changing easy read for me.

PS Accidentally, mixed my metaphors in the final sketch. The Mind Is A Machine metaphor is so pervasive it’s hard to ‘sketch’ across thinking without it.

Metaphors for ideas

We’re not very consistent at estimating the future value of something and have a bias, perhaps motivated by survival, towards overvaluing nearer outcomes at the expense of later ones.

Hyperbolic discounting

We have a tendency to think that we’ll be able to act differently in the future. So while this lucky chap plans to start his diet tomorrow having been presented with this giant cake, he underestimates his likelihood of not sticking to it on future days.

Present bias

Practise thinking in space and time. An alternative to Powers of 10 that encourages you to look at a situation in space and time. Helpful for getting a new perspective. The easiest way I know is to literally draw the boxes. Start with what you’re dealing with in the centre then start filling the rest out. Another tool from the TRIZ toolkit.

9 Windows

Also known as system 1 and system 2. Book: Thinking fast and slow

Fast and slow thinking

Something I try to keep in mind whenever I set to thinking and run out of space. As much as possible, find tools that don’t limit your thinking.

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Category: thinking