The Law of Closure is one of the principles among the Gestalt laws of grouping, a series of principles in psychology that describe how we naturally perceive visual elements as organized patterns and objects. The Law of Closure specifically deals with our perception’s tendency to see complete figures even when part of the information is missing.
According to the Law of Closure, when we look at a complex arrangement of visual elements, we tend to look for a single, recognizable pattern. If the visual elements are not entirely complete, our brain fills in the gaps of the missing information to create a whole, cohesive image. This happens even when parts of the contours or edges are not fully outlined or when there are gaps in the lines or shapes.
For example, if we see a circle with a small segment missing, our perception will still interpret it as a complete circle, not as a disjointed or incomplete shape. Similarly, if a series of disconnected shapes are aligned in such a way that they suggest a familiar shape, we will perceive the whole shape rather than just the individual parts.
This principle is widely utilized in logo design, graphic arts, and other visual fields to create compelling images that are simple yet convey complete ideas. It plays on the human ability to perceive a unified whole, which is more than just the sum of its parts, allowing for creative designs that can be both minimalist and expressive.