What is Closure? Learn the Gestalt Principle

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Design is as much about what is left out as what is included. Our brains are wired to find patterns, complete incomplete shapes, and make sense of visual cues. 

This cognitive ability is at the heart of the Gestalt Principle of Closure—a fundamental design principle that leverages the human tendency to fill in missing information.

This article in Design Journal explores closure, how it works in design, and how it can be effectively applied in UI UX design.

What is closure?

The Gestalt Principle of Closure is one of the six core principles in psychology, first introduced by Max Wertheimer in 1923. It describes how our brains perceive incomplete shapes as a whole by mentally filling in the gaps.

For example, when we see a broken circle with gaps, we still recognize it as a full circle because our brains naturally complete the missing parts. This principle is crucial in design, branding, and user experience.

Law of closure

The Law of Closure states that when we see an incomplete figure, our minds automatically complete the missing parts to form a whole. This occurs because our brains prefer simplicity and order over chaos.

The human brain is wired to seek patterns and familiar structures in everything we perceive. 

When presented with incomplete visual information, our cognitive processes instinctively attempt to complete the missing details by referencing stored memories, learned experiences, and contextual clues. 

This tendency ensures that our perception remains seamless and efficient, helping us make sense of fragmented data.

The Law of Closure is based on Gestalt psychology, which emphasizes how we naturally group elements to create a coherent whole. 

This phenomenon is influenced by various factors such as proximity, similarity, and continuity. The brain unconsciously organizes disconnected shapes, lines, or forms into a recognizable structure, reducing cognitive strain and enhancing readability.

The Law of Closure is not just about visual perception; it extends to cognitive efficiency and decision-making. 

By filling in missing gaps, our brains can interpret complex images, quickly recognize patterns, and interact seamlessly with our environment. 

This principle is heavily utilized in design, advertising, and branding to create engaging and impactful visuals that resonate with users subconsciously.

Learn more about cognition in our researched topics:

• Cognitive Dissonance
• Cognitive Bias
• Cognitive Load
• Cognitive Walkthrough
• Availability Heuristic

How does the law of closure work?

The Law of Closure principle from Gestalt psychology describes how the human brain perceives incomplete visuals. 

This cognitive tendency is rooted in our natural inclination to organize visual information efficiently. Here’s how it works:

Filling in gaps

When presented with an incomplete shape or form, the brain instinctively fills in the missing details based on prior knowledge and experience. This automatic process helps us recognize familiar objects quickly. 

For example, if part of a familiar logo is missing, our brain will still remember it without needing the entire image.

Creating coherence

Closure enables the mind to simplify complex visual stimuli by grouping disconnected elements into a unified whole. 

This helps make sense of fragmented information and reduces cognitive load. It allows us to see order even in seemingly scattered or broken designs.

Enhancing recognition

Even with missing details, our brains prioritize known patterns and familiar structures, making it easier to recognize logos, icons, and text even when they are not fully formed. 

This ability enhances design efficiency by ensuring users can quickly identify essential elements without excessive cognitive effort.

Triggering engagement

Designs incorporating closure often evoke curiosity and engagement, prompting viewers to participate in the completion process. 

This interaction makes visuals more memorable and impactful. By leaving part of the design incomplete, designers encourage the audience to engage with the content, reinforcing retention and recall mentally.

Closure in design

Closure in design is a fundamental principle derived from Gestalt psychology. In this cognitive tendency, the human brain perceives incomplete shapes, patterns, or forms as complete by mentally filling in the gaps. 

This allows designers to create visually engaging, efficient, and intuitive compositions while maintaining minimalism.

In branding and identity design, closure forms recognizable shapes without fully drawing them. This technique simplifies complex visuals, making them more memorable and engaging. 

By leveraging closure in design, designers create a sense of sophistication and intrigue, encouraging viewers to complete the image mentally.

Closure enhances clarity and usability in user interface (UI) and icon design. Simplified icons and UI components rely on this principle to maintain a clean and modern aesthetic while ensuring immediate recognition. 

Designers reduce visual clutter by suggesting rather than explicitly defining forms, leading to more intuitive interactions.

Typography also utilizes closure to create unique letterforms that appear distinct yet legible. Specific fonts incorporate missing strokes or gaps while remaining readable, adding visual interest and a contemporary feel. Learn more about typography with our font psychology guide.

This technique is often employed to create dynamic and artistic text-based designs.

In digital experiences, closure is key in guiding users’ attention and interactions. It is commonly seen in interface elements such as navigation indicators, progress bars, or buttons where partial shapes suggest functionality without overwhelming the design. 

Designers craft interfaces that feel seamless and engaging by leveraging closure effectively.

Overall, closure in design is a powerful tool that enhances aesthetics, improves usability, and fosters a deeper connection between users and visuals. 

It allows for creative expression while maintaining simplicity, making it an essential technique in modern design practices.

How to create effective closure in design?

Creating effective closure in design requires a strategic approach that balances simplicity with visual engagement. Designers can use closure to make their work more intuitive, aesthetically appealing, and memorable. Here are key techniques to implement closure effectively:

Use negative space wisely

Negative space plays a crucial role in closure by allowing the brain to fill in the missing parts of a design. 

Designers can create recognizable shapes by strategically placing elements and leaving gaps without explicitly defining them. This technique makes visuals more intriguing and helps reduce clutter while maintaining clarity.

Leverage minimalism

Reducing visual noise enhances closure by making forms easier to recognize. Instead of adding unnecessary details, designers should focus on the essential parts of a shape or object to guide the viewer’s perception. 

A minimalist design approach ensures that designs remain clean, modern, and easy to interpret.

Ensure recognizability

For closure in design to be effective, the incomplete shapes should be easily recognizable. Overly complex or ambiguous forms can lead to confusion instead of engagement. 

The missing parts should be intuitive enough for the brain to complete effortlessly, ensuring instant identification and understanding of the design.

Combine with other Gestalt principles

Closure in design works well with principles like proximity, similarity, and continuity. Aligning elements closely together or using consistent patterns can reinforce this effect. 

These principles work harmoniously to create a seamless visual experience that guides the viewer’s perception.

Maintain balance and contrast

A well-balanced composition with appropriate contrast helps enhance closure. 

High contrast between foreground and background ensures that the viewer can easily distinguish the missing parts and ultimately complete the image. Proper balance prevents the design from appearing chaotic or disorganized.

Use partial outlines

Instead of fully enclosing an object, designers can suggest boundaries through partial outlines or dotted lines. 

This technique is effective in UI elements like navigation indicators, checkboxes, and progress bars. It subtly guides the viewer’s eyes, making interactions more intuitive and visually appealing.

When to apply closure in design?

Closure is a versatile principle that can be applied across various design disciplines, from branding to user interfaces. Here are scenarios where using closure enhances effectiveness:

Branding and logo design

Closure in design is commonly used in logos to create unique and recognizable brand identities. 

It allows for impactful yet minimal website designs that remain etched in memory. 

Using negative space and partial forms, brands can create distinctive marks that stand out while maintaining simplicity.

UI UX design

In digital interfaces, closure improves navigation and usability. Elements like toggles, check boxes, and loading indicators often use partial shapes to indicate functionality while maintaining a clean layout. 

It helps in making interactions seamless and efficient by subtly guiding user perception. 

Typography and lettering

Stencil fonts and modern typography designs use closure to create artistic and visually striking text while ensuring readability. By strategically omitting parts of letters while maintaining legibility, designers can craft text-based designs that are both creative and functional.

Infographics and data visualization

Closure helps simplify complex data by presenting fragmented yet cohesive information, making it easier to comprehend. 

It enhances readability by breaking down large amounts of information into digestible visual chunks, reducing the cognitive burden on users. Here are some free Figma data visualization plugins.

Illustrations and artwork

Artistic compositions often use closure to imply movement, form, or perspective without fully defining shapes, adding depth and intrigue to visuals. 

This technique encourages viewers to engage with the artwork by filling in the missing details, making the design more immersive and interactive. Try out these Figma illustration plugins that will ease your design workflow.

Benefits of using the law of closure in UX

Applying the Law of Closure in UX design offers several advantages, making digital experiences more seamless and intuitive. Here’s why it matters:

Enhances usability

Closure in UX helps users quickly understand and interact with digital interfaces without excessive explanation. 

Simplified icons and partial shapes make navigation effortless. This leads to a smoother user experience, reduced friction, and improved accessibility.

Reduces cognitive load

Closure eliminates unnecessary distractions by allowing users to perceive incomplete elements and process information more efficiently. 

Users can concentrate on essential interactions and tasks When they don’t have to focus on deciphering complex visuals.

Creates a modern and minimalistic aesthetic

Designs incorporating closure appear sleek and contemporary, aligning with modern UX trends prioritizing clarity and simplicity. 

A minimalist approach ensures digital products feel clean, professional, and easy to use, enhancing user satisfaction.

Improves visual hierarchy

Closure helps establish a clear visual hierarchy by grouping elements effectively. This guides user attention to essential parts of a page or interface. When properly implemented, it ensures that key information stands out without overwhelming the user.

Boosts engagement and interaction

Closure fosters engagement by making users an active participant in the perception process. This can be particularly useful in branding, marketing, and UI animations. 

Interactive elements that rely on closure create a more immersive experience, encouraging users to stay engaged.

Optimizes space utilization

Closure in UX allows designers to convey more information with fewer elements, making it ideal for responsive and mobile-friendly designs where space is limited. 

By effectively using partial shapes and negative space, designers can create compact yet meaningful interfaces that adapt seamlessly to different screen sizes.

Closure examples in practice

The principle of closure in design refers to our brain’s ability to perceive a complete image even when parts are missing.

Many brands leverage this principle to create memorable logos and brand identities that engage viewers at a subconscious level. Here are some iconic closure examples:

FedEx: Hidden arrow logo

At first glance, the FedEx logo appears to be a straightforward typographic representation of the brand’s name in bold, sans-serif font. However, the real genius lies in the negative space between the letters “E” and “x,” which forms a perfectly shaped arrow.

• Why is this significant? The arrow is a universal symbol of movement, direction, and speed—qualities that align seamlessly with FedEx’s core identity as a global courier and logistics company.
• How does closure work here? The arrow isn’t explicitly drawn, but our brain instinctively perceives it due to the strategic spacing of the letters. The absence of explicit lines makes the logo more dynamic and engaging.
• The impact: This subtle yet brilliant design choice reinforces the company’s messaging without being overtly promotional. Once you see the arrow, you can’t unsee it, which enhances recall and brand memorability.

WWF (World Wildlife Fund): Panda logo

The WWF logo features a stylized panda, one of the most beloved and recognizable symbols of wildlife conservation. However, the panda’s form is not fully outlined—it is composed of minimal black shapes that suggest its presence rather than depict it in a detailed, photorealistic way.

• Why a panda? The choice of a panda is significant because it represents an endangered species, aligning with WWF’s conservation mission. The panda was also chosen due to its high recognition worldwide, requiring minimal use of color.
• How does closure work here? The panda’s black patches for the ears, eyes, and limbs create a fragmented image, but our brain instinctively completes the missing parts, forming a complete panda figure.
• The impact: This minimal yet expressive design makes the logo timeless, adaptable, and instantly recognizable across cultures. It also reflects simplicity, a key principle in effective branding.

NBC: Peacock logo

The NBC logo is another brilliant example of closure in branding. It features a colorful peacock, but instead of explicitly outlining the bird, the design consists of six distinct, fan-like colored shapes arranged in a semi-circle with a white negative space in the middle.

• Why a peacock? The peacock symbolizes NBC’s vibrant and diverse programming. The six colored feathers represented the network’s six divisions when the logo was redesigned in 1986.
• How does closure work here? The individual feathers are not physically connected, yet our brain perceives them as forming the body of a peacock. The small white space in the center suggests the peacock’s head, even though no physical lines define it.
• The impact: This clever use of negative space and implied form makes the logo visually appealing and conceptually meaningful. The peacock’s forward-facing posture subtly conveys a sense of looking ahead, reinforcing NBC’s commitment to innovation and progress in media.

Apple – Apple bite logo

The Apple logo is a globally recognized emblem of technology and innovation. It features a simple apple silhouette with a bite taken from it—an elegant yet powerful use of closure.

• Why an apple? The name “Apple” was chosen because it is simple, familiar, and non-intimidating—qualities that align with the company’s goal of making technology accessible.
• Why the bite? The bite serves multiple purposes:
  • It prevents the apple from being mistaken for a cherry or other round fruit.
  • The word “bite” playfully nods to “byte,” a fundamental unit of digital information, subtly linking the brand to computing.
• How does closure work here? The missing chunk in the apple makes our brain complete the shape naturally, ensuring instant recognition.
• The impact: The Apple logo perfectly blends simplicity and meaning. The bite adds uniqueness, while the overall design remains clean and timeless, making it one of the most iconic logos in the world.

Adidas – Three stripes brand identity

Unlike the previous examples, which focus on logos, Adidas uses closure as a brand identity element. The three stripes, seen on shoes, apparel, and marketing materials, are instantly associated with the brand—even when presented abstractly.

• Why three stripes? Adidas initially added three stripes to its shoes for structural support, but they eventually became a signature visual identity.
• How does closure work here? The three parallel stripes do not form a complete shape independently, yet they suggest movement, athleticism, and progress. Our brain associates them with Adidas without seeing a logo or additional branding.
• The impact: The simplicity and repetition of the three stripes reinforce brand recognition while allowing for endless creative variations in branding and product design.

Conclusion

The Gestalt Principle of Closure is a game-changer in design, helping create intuitive, engaging, and visually appealing interfaces. 

Understanding and leveraging closure can improve the aesthetics and usability of a logo, website, app interface, or marketing material. 

By using negative space, minimalistic elements, and proper alignment, you can craft seamless user experiences that leave a lasting impression.

Next time you design something, ask yourself: What can I remove to make the user’s brain complete the picture?

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Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of closure?

Closure is a psychological concept in which the human brain fills in the missing parts of an incomplete image, pattern, or shape to perceive a complete, unified whole. It’s a fundamental aspect of visual perception that helps us recognize objects even when they are partially obscured or incomplete.

For example, when you see a broken circle, your brain naturally fills in the gaps to perceive it as a complete circle.

What is the closure principle?

The closure principle is one of the key Gestalt principles of perception. It states that our brain completes incomplete figures, lines, or objects by mentally filling in missing information.

This principle is widely used in design and branding to create engaging, minimal, and memorable visuals, as seen in logos like FedEx (hidden arrow), WWF (panda), and NBC (peacock).

What is the law of closure with an example?

The law of closure states that when an image or shape is incomplete, our mind automatically fills in the missing parts to perceive it as a whole. This principle is used in logo design, illustrations, and UI/UX to create visually engaging designs.

Example: The WWF logo features an incomplete panda made up of black patches. Even though the lines don’t connect fully, our brain perceives a full panda. Similarly, the FedEx logo has a hidden arrow formed by negative space, which we recognize without an explicit outline.

What are the 7 Gestalt principles of design?

Gestalt psychology identifies several principles that explain how we visually perceive and organize elements. The 7 key Gestalt principles in design are:

1. Closure – Our brain fills in missing parts to create a complete image. (Example: WWF panda logo, FedEx arrow.)
2. Proximity – Objects placed close together are perceived as a group. (Example: Dotted lines forming a shape.)
3. Similarity – Elements that look alike (in color, shape, or size) are perceived as belonging to the same group. (Example: Uniformly designed icons in an app UI.)
4. Continuity – Even if interrupted, the eye follows a path, line, or curve. (Example: A dashed line that appears continuous.)
5. Figure-Ground – We distinguish objects from their background. (Example: The Rubin vase illusion, where you see either a vase or two faces.)
6. Symmetry & Order – The mind perceives symmetrical and orderly objects as more aesthetically pleasing. (Example: The Olympic rings.)
7. Common Fate – Elements moving in the same direction are perceived as part of a group. (Example: A flock of birds flying together appears as a single unit.)