Figure-ground relationships

In figure-ground reversal the viewer’s perception alternates between two possible interpretations of the same visual field: you see either a goblet or two faces, but you cannot see both at once (b, below). Proximity has a strong effect on figure-ground relationships: it’s easier for most people to see the goblet when it’s wider and the “faces” are farther apart (c, below). Also, visual elements that are relatively small will be seen as discrete elements against a larger field. The small element will be seen as the “figure” and the larger field as the “ground” around the figure.

Uniform connectedness

Uniform connectedness refers to relations of elements that are defined by enclosing elements within other elements, regions, or discrete areas of the page.

Effects

The “white space” between two visual elements forms a third visual element and becomes visually active as the elements come closer together. The well-known visual illusion below of gray “spots” appearing in the spaces between the dark squares shows the worst-case scenario for 1 + 1 = 3 effects, but this principle applies to all closely spaced elements in which the ground forms an active part of the overall design.

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