The Principles of Visual Literacy

The square, circle, triangle, point, line, and plane are the building blocks to form. Then there are the building blocks to visual communication: Closure, common fate, continuation, figure/ground, similarity, proximity, and symmetry are the principles of visual language theory from Max Wertheimer’s Gestalt laws of Perceptual Organization, published in 1923. These “rules” have been extended, most notably in Donis A. Dondis’s classic book on visual language, A Primer of Visual Literacy (1973).

This group book is a celebration of design principles. It's also an exercise in compromise, collaboration, restraint, workflow, and process – a few of the less visible components that go into smart design.