The Law of Uniform Connectedness states that visually connected elements are perceived as a single unit, regardless of whether they have similar colors, shapes or sizes. This makes it easier to recognize connections. This principle supports intuitive navigation and structuring of user interfaces by promoting groupings and improving clarity.

Origin

The Law of Uniform Connectedness comes from Gestalt psychology, which was developed in the early 1920s by Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang Köhler. These researchers studied how the human brain organizes and interprets visual information in order to recognize meaningful patterns and structures. Their work laid the foundations for the Gestalt laws, which are still applied in design and perceptual research today.

  • Wertheimer, M. (1923). Investigations into the Theory of Gestalt. Psychological Review, 4, 301–350.
  • Koffka, K. (1935). Principles of Gestalt Psychology. New York: Harcourt.

Application in UX and UI design

In UX and UI design, the Law of Uniform Connectedness plays a central role in the design of clear and intuitive user interfaces. By deliberately connecting elements with lines or shared backgrounds, designers can visually group functions or information together. This makes it easier for users to understand the structure and promotes efficient navigation within the application.

A practical example is the design of navigation menus, where the user navigation is displayed in a different color than the page background. This allows users to immediately see which options belong together and find the desired functions more quickly. Similarly, form fields that belong to a common category can be grouped together using a uniform background.

Impact on the User Experience

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Further information