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i U X

Our sense of balance affects everything we see

Are there rules for design?
Early last century, psychologists in Austria and Germany
developed a school of psychology called Gestalt, which
attempts to explain human
behavior in terms of pattern seeking. Gestalt theory
explains how the eye organizes visual experiences and
how the brain interprets them.
Gestalt is not design, but
knowing the visual principles
of Gestalt will give you a valuable design toolbox.
By Bob Dahlquist with the
Before & After staff

equilibrium
Continued

Continued

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium 0676

Before&After

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

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2 of 7

i U X

Find equilibrium in nature

Consciously or not, our sense of balance deeply influences our visual judgments. The
Gestalt principle of equilibrium addresses the stability we seek in everything we see.

In nature, an object tends towards a

stable, resting state, as seen in a water
droplet: Splashed water beads up
draws inwardand comes to rest in a
circle. This is a stable state.

Equilibrium is everywhere! (Below) Notice how our eye is pulled to the center.
Our eye is most comfortable at the center, the point of greatest equilibrium.

Plant seed

Lime wedge

Pumpkin

2 of 7

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium 0676

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Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

BAmagazine.com

3 of 7

i U X

Create equilibrium in objects

A water droplet, in its simplest form, is a dot that pulls your eye to the center.
This similar concept has been applied to famous logos and trademarks.

Mimicking nature, we create equilibrium when we draw a plain dot.

Like the droplet, a dot is a shape at
rest, under no tension. This shape
displays equilibrium.

Look at me! (Below) Equilibrium gives these logos rest, stability and permanence.
Each one commands your extreme attention, because your eye is drawn towards the center.

CBS
by William Golden

Woolmark
by Francesco Saroglia

Ralston Purina
by William Danforth

3 of 7

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium 0676

Before&After

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4 of 7

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

i U X

Equilibrium in placement

Our eye is naturally drawn to the center of a field. An object placed elsewhere
draws our eye away and toward the object and edge, which creates tension.

Tension

Ambiguity

The dot far off center

results in tension from
three elements tugging
at your eyethe center,
the dot and the edge.

Equilibrium

Neither centered nor

clearly off center, our
eye struggles with this
ambiguity.

Equilibrium at work. Our

eye recognizes that the
dot is in the center. Tension ceases. The composition comes to rest.

(Often-overlooked fact:
The paper is not a passive
carrier but an active part
of any composition.)

4 of 7

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium 0676

Before&After

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

BAmagazine.com

5 of 7

i U X

Create equilibrium in your layout

Every element has shape, direction and value. Create equilibrium by arranging
elements and adjusting values so the primary visual weight is in the center. For
interest, you can then create tension within the equilibrium.

GLOBAL NETWORK
SOLUTIONS

2008 ANNUAL REPORT

Specializing in International Trade, Business

Consultation and Information Technology Services

GLOBAL NETWORK
SOLUTIONS

2008
ANNUAL
REPORT

2008 ANNUAL REPORT

Specializing in International
Trade, Business Consultation and
Information Technology Services

GLOBAL NETWORK
SOLUTIONS
Specializing in International Trade, Business
Consultation and Information Technology Services

Tension
Elements gathered all the way to the
left yield an unbalanced, active page.

Equilibrium with tension

The visual weight is in the center.
The center itself is asymmetrical
and active.

Equilibrium
The centered layout is balanced,
stable, in repose.

5 of 7

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium 0676

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Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

i U X

Article resources

Typefaces

Colors

1 Futura Bold | 14 pt
4

2008 ANNUAL REPORT

12 C58 M30 Y100 K5

2 Trajan | 35/38 pt

13 C0 M0 Y0 K100

3 Futura Light | 14/18.5 pt

5
Images
Images: iStockphoto.com
2

Specializing in International Trade, Business

Consultation and Information Technology Services

4 (599110)

GLOBAL NETWORK
SOLUTIONS

5 (6656607)

12
13
6

6 (110668)
7 (395496)
8 (301688)
9 (CBS.com)
10 (Wool.com)
11 (Purina.com)

10

11

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i U X

Before & After magazine

Before & After has been sharing its practical approach
to graphic design since 1990. Because our modern world
has made designers of us all (ready or not), Before &
After is dedicated to making graphic design understandable, useful and even fun for everyone.
John McWade Publisher and creative director
Gaye McWade Associate publisher
Dexter Mark Abellera Staff designer
Before & After magazine
323 Lincoln Street, Roseville, CA 95678
Telephone 916-784-3880
Fax 916-784-3995
E-mail mailbox@bamagazine.com
www http://www.bamagazine.com
Copyright 2008 Before & After magazine
ISSN 1049-0035. All rights reserved
You may pass along a free copy of this article to others
by clicking here. You may not alter this article, and you
may not charge for it. You may quote brief sections
for review; please credit Before & After magazine, and
let us know. To link Before & After magazine to your
Web site, use this URL: http://www.bamagazine.com.
For all other permissions, please contact us.

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Before&After

Continued

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i U X

i U X
Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

BAmagazine.com

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium0676

0676
Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

0676

Our sense of balance affects everything we see

Are there rules for design?
Early last century, psychologists in Austria and Germany
developed a school of psychology called Gestalt, which
attempts to explain human
behavior in terms of pattern seeking. Gestalt theory
explains how the eye organizes visual experiences and
how the brain interprets them.
Gestalt is not design, but
knowing the visual principles
of Gestalt will give you a valuable design toolbox.

2 of 7

equilibrium

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

By Bob Dahlquist with the

Before & After staff

Before&After

Find equilibrium in nature

In nature, an object tends towards a

stable, resting state, as seen in a water
droplet: Splashed water beads up
draws inwardand comes to rest in a
circle. This is a stable state.

Lime wedge

2 of 7

Equilibrium is everywhere! (Below) Notice how our eye is pulled to the center.
Our eye is most comfortable at the center, the point of greatest equilibrium.

Plant seed

1 of 4

Before&After | www.bamagazine.com

Pumpkin

Consciously or not, our sense of balance deeply inuences our visual judgments. The
Gestalt principle of equilibrium addresses the stability we seek in everything we see.

0676 Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

Before&After

Before&After

Tension

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

3 of 7

Create equilibrium in objects

BAmagazine.com

A water droplet, in its simplest form, is a dot that pulls your eye to the center.
This similar concept has been applied to famous logos and trademarks.

Mimicking nature, we create equilibrium when we draw a plain dot.

Like the droplet, a dot is a shape at
rest, under no tension. This shape
displays equilibrium.

Woolmark
by Francesco Saroglia

3 of 7

Equilibrium

4 of 7

i U X

i U X
Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

BAmagazine.com

Ralston Purina
by William Danforth

Look at me! (Below) Equilibrium gives these logos rest, stability and permanence.
Each one commands your extreme attention, because your eye is drawn towards the center.

4 of 7

CBS
by William Golden

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

Equilibrium in placement

Ambiguity

2 of 4

Before&After | www.bamagazine.com

Neither centered nor

clearly off center, our
eye struggles with this
ambiguity.

0676

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium0676

0676
Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

(Often-overlooked fact:
The paper is not a passive
carrier but an active part
of any composition.)

Equilibrium at work. Our

eye recognizes that the
dot is in the center. Tension ceases. The composition comes to rest.

Our eye is naturally drawn to the center of a eld. An object placed elsewhere
draws our eye away and toward the object and edge, which creates tension.

The dot far off center

results in tension from
three elements tugging
at your eyethe center,
the dot and the edge.

0676 Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

Before&After
Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

5 of 7

Create equilibrium in your layout

2008 ANNUAL REPORT

GLOBAL NETWORK
SOLUTIONS
Specializing in International Trade, Business
Consultation and Information Technology Services

8 (301688)

7 (395496)

6 (110668)

5 (6656607)

4 (599110)

Images: iStockphoto.com

Images

3 Futura Light | 14/18.5 pt

2 Trajan | 35/38 pt

1 Futura Bold | 14 pt

Typefaces

Equilibrium
The centered layout is balanced,
stable, in repose.

6 of 7

2
3
12
13

9 (CBS.com)
10 (Wool.com)
11 (Purina.com)

3 of 4

Before&After | www.bamagazine.com

11

6 of 7

5 of 7

BAmagazine.com

i U X

GLOBAL NETWORK
SOLUTIONS
2008 ANNUAL REPORT
Specializing in International
Trade, Business Consultation and
Information Technology Services

i U X

0676

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium0676

0676
Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

13 C0 M0 Y0 K100

12 C58 M30 Y100 K5

Colors

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

BAmagazine.com

Equilibrium with tension

The visual weight is in the center.
The center itself is asymmetrical
and active.

Every element has shape, direction and value. Create equilibrium by arranging
elements and adjusting values so the primary visual weight is in the center. For
interest, you can then create tension within the equilibrium.

Specializing in International Trade, Business

Consultation and Information Technology Services

GLOBAL NETWORK
SOLUTIONS

2008
ANNUAL
REPORT

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

Tension
Elements gathered all the way to the
left yield an unbalanced, active page.

Before&After

10

Specializing in International Trade, Business

Consultation and Information Technology Services

GLOBAL NETWORK
SOLUTIONS

2008 ANNUAL REPORT

Article resources

0676 Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

Before&After
Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

Subscribe to Before & After

7 of 7

Subscribe to Before & After, and become a

more capable, condent designer for pennies
per article. To learn more, go to
http://www.bamagazine.com/Subscribe
E-mail this article
To pass along a free copy of this article to
others, click here.
Join our e-list
To be notied by e-mail of new articles as
they become available, go to

4 of 4

7 of 7

BAmagazine.com

i U X

Before & After magazine

Before & After has been sharing its practical approach
to graphic design since 1990. Because our modern world
has made designers of us all (ready or not), Before &
After is dedicated to making graphic design understandable, useful and even fun for everyone.
John McWade Publisher and creative director
Gaye McWade Associate publisher
Dexter Mark Abellera Staff designer
Before & After magazine
323 Lincoln Street, Roseville, CA 95678
Telephone 916-784-3880
Fax 916-784-3995
E-mail mailbox@bamagazine.com
www http://www.bamagazine.com
Copyright 2008 Before & After magazine
ISSN 1049-0035. All rights reserved

0676

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium 0676

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

You may pass along a free copy of this article to others

by clicking here. You may not alter this article, and you
may not charge for it. You may quote brief sections
for review; please credit Before & After magazine, and
let us know. To link Before & After magazine to your
Web site, use this URL: http://www.bamagazine.com.
For all other permissions, please contact us.

Printing formats

Before&After | www.bamagazine.com

http://www.bamagazine.com/email

0676 Gestalt theory: Equilibrium