Gestalt Principle: The Law of Closure

Most people know when a logo design is successful, whether or not they have a background in graphic design. But what is it about logo designs that make them successful? And on the flip side, what causes so many poorly designed logos to fail? I will tackle this exact subject in a series of posts that will delve into the design principles used to create effective logos.

First up let’s take a look at the Gestalt Principle (or law), also known as the “Law of Simplicity.” The Gestalt Principle is a theory that says our minds self-organize information in a manner that is orderly, regular, symmetric, and simple. This means that when we see a cluster of lines and shapes our minds attempt to organize them into a single, cohesive form, rather than a collection of individual parts. It should go without saying that the Gestalt Principles are extremely helpful when trying to understand how a logo will be perceived by an audience.

WWF Logo Using Closure

So let’s jump right in and take a look at the law of closure. Just to be clear the law of closure will not help you bury the hatchet with your “ex.” (That kind of closure is a lot tougher to figure out).

The kind of closure we are talking about occurs when a series of visual elements suggest a connection between one another, when, in fact, they never actually touch.

A great example of this is the World Wide Fund For Nature designed by Sir Peter Scott in 1961. The image of the panda is not complete because the areas of white on the panda are not defined by a stroke or shape. However, our minds still recognize the shape of the panda and complete (or close) the two areas of white in order to make sense of the panda’s head and body.
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Now That’s Clever! – Diane Ingarten

Diane Ingarten | Design: Alek Chmura

I thought this design by Alek Chumra did a great job of incorporating the initials of the clothing designer into a single mark. The arc of the “D” progresses smoothly, which keeps the eye moving through the logo in a circular motion. The letters are legible and work great when reversed out (as you can see on the tag inside the shirt). Simple, clean, appropriate.

The Pepsi Logo: An Observation

Can with Pepsi Logo

The introduction of the new Pepsi logo caused quite the stir in the logo design community last year. Everyone has offered their two cents on the logo refresh, as well they should. Pepsi is one of the most recognizable brands in the world and when they decide to change their logo you better believe people will take notice. (I, for one, grew up in a Pepsi household so I have a certain amount of Pepsi bias). One of the best breakdowns of the new Pepsi logo is over at Before & After Magazine as part of their Design Talks. While I don’t want to rehash what others have said, I would like to share a observation I made this week on the new logo, and more specifically on the stylized font used for the word Pepsi.

A few reviews I have read disliked the width of the letters “pep” which were wider than the last two letters “si”. I had to agree that the “pep” had three almost perfectly round letters followed by two thinner letters, which didn’t seem to be cohesive, but still somehow worked. I couldn’t put my finger on why it worked until a few days ago. Walking down a busy street I saw a Pepsi truck with the new logo strewn across its side. This larger than life application of the logo made me see the logo in a new way.  I saw that careful consideration was made in regards to how the letters were laid out.
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5 ½ Logo Design Tips

After finishing nearly fours years of design classes, working at a graphic design agency, and freelancing in my free time, I have picked up some helpful tips along the way. I try to keep these following 5 ½ tips in mind each time I start a new project. These tips are written in regards to logo design, but can be helpful for any type of visual design you are working on.

Do Your Homework | Your client probably knows the ins-and-outs of their industry and that means you should too. Do your homework to see what their industry is all about. Research their competition, look at current industry trends, establish the target market, and find out what brands have already been established. You don’t want to duplicate a color scheme or look that is already in use, especially since your aim should be to help your client stand out amongst their competition.  The more informed you are about your clients industry, the better prepared you will be to think “outside the box” when creating a logo design.

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