Law of Prägnanz in UX Design

The laws of Gestalt are an essential resource for anyone hoping to grasp the nuances of user-centric design, be they an aspiring UI designer or a budding UX professional. They are essential to understanding how people view shapes and how to use that information to make superior and user-friendly goods and services.

The law of Prägnanz, one of the fundamental Gestalt laws, is examined in this article. We’ll examine this law’s definition in more detail as well as the reasons designers should be concerned about it.

Law of Prägnanz

What exactly is the Law of Prägnanz?

According to the Law of Prägnanz, sometimes known as Prägnanz, people’s brains tend to interpret complicated shapes or a collection of uncertain parts as simply as possible.

The law of “good figure” is another name for this one. Apple is well known for its intuitive and simple user interfaces. Their goods, like the MacBook and iPhone, are designed with clarity and simplicity in mind. Users can navigate and interact with interfaces with ease thanks to the clear icons, simple gestures, and clean lines. Apple produces aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly goods because they adhere to the Prägnanz law.

The way that people view the Olympic emblem is an excellent example of this law in process. Actually, what are your thoughts about it before we tell you how people understand it? In what way would you explain it to someone?

Most people would agree if you stated that it’s a collection of five overlapping circles. Since it would be unnecessarily intellectually demanding to think of it as a collection of connected lines.

And let’s say you believe that thinking of it as a network of connected lines isn’t actually “that” complex. In that scenario, it makes sense to suppose that picturing an object in its most basic form will help cement it in our memory by requiring less mental effort.

Uses of Law of Prägnanz

1. The Clarity and Simplicity of Interface Design:

One of the core principles of interface design that comes from the law of Prägnanz is the importance of clarity and simplicity. Customers enter your design with a clear idea of what they hope to achieve. Users must therefore be able to quickly and easily understand how your user interface works and what it is trying to accomplish.

2. Give visual hierarchy and structure top emphasis:

Applying Prägnanz’s law to improve the hierarchy and visual organization is another avenue. Users should be able to identify and classify the different interface elements with ease.

3. Ensure Clarity and Identifiability:

The law of Prägnanz likewise emphasizes familiarity and consistency. User interfaces that belong to established standards and design patterns are more likely to be recognized and utilized by users.

Examples

1. Google: Structured Search Results for Simple Navigation

The Law of Prägnanz can be used to craft an amazing user experience, as demonstrated by Google’s search engine. Google enables people to quickly and easily find the information they’re looking for by presenting search results in a clear, structured manner. Google’s symmetrical design and straightforward color scheme make the layout easy to scan and navigate, which helps to explain why it is the most used search engine in the globe.

2. Airbnb: Cutting Down on the Complexities of House Sharing

One may learn a lot about following the Law of Prägnanz from Airbnb’s platform. It’s simple for customers to search for and reserve lodgings on the company’s mobile app and website thanks to their simple, minimalist design. Sections including property listings, filters, and map view are clearly divided from one another in an orderly style. Users may easily locate the information they require thanks to this organization. Moreover, symmetrical design features enhance the platform’s overall aesthetic appeal and user experience. Examples of these aspects include equally spaced property cards and balanced text.

3. Spotify: Easy-to-use Music Search and Management

Spotify is yet another company that has effectively incorporated the Law of Prägnanz into its user experience design. Users may browse playlists, albums, and artist sites with ease because to the music streaming service’s clear and well-organized layout. Users can easily discover and explore new music because to the layout’s clear visual hierarchy, prominent titles, and thoughtfully arranged sections. Additionally, a visually appealing experience that entices users to return is created by the symmetrical placement of playlist tiles and album covers.

Conculsion

There are other names for the law of Prägnanz, such as the Good Figure or the Law of Simplicity. It illustrates how the human mind will analyze visual stimuli in the simplest way possible, leaving out complicated patterns that take more work to comprehend. Making more logical and captivating images for goods and services requires an understanding of how people view shapes.

In every project, Arounda, a design agency, follows Gestalt principles such as the law of Prägnanz. Gestalt principles are tried-and-true guidelines that work for both SaaS-based HR platforms and Web 3 marketplaces for developing user interfaces and user experiences. We therefore feel fairly comfortable providing this information and sincerely hope it was beneficial, particularly for the newbies.