Proximity

	PROXIMITY Where items are placed in relation to each other is another important gestalt consideration. Proximity relationships will generally dominate over similarity relationships. The strongest control is available when the two are used together. There are four specific types of proximity relationships that will be studied in this lesson: close edge, touch, overlap and combining.
	This sign for a money exchange makes poor uses of close edge proximity. The $ sign is too close to the word exchange. Makes you think twice about using their services.			Close edge: The general concept for proximity states that the closer items are to one another, the more likely they are to be seen as a group. The amount of space involved is relative. Look at the example to the left and notice that there are fourteen items that form three groups with one orphan at the bottom right that is not quite part of the group above it. Size is another strong grouping option. Shape is a distant third for forming groups. This kind of grouping is used extensively with printed type. The example below forms two words -- close and edge. You know it is two words because of the larger space between them. Close edge In the example below the same space that was between words in the example above is used between the letters of close and edge. Notice that they still form two words because of the even larger space between them. C l o s e . e d g e We read words from left to right but also from top to bottom. Close edge relationships can form groups in any direction. What would you order if you saw this sign in a restaurant window? FREE . . . .WATER FOOD .. . .. SOLD In the example below the letters and the colored backgrounds are in a close edge relationship. The white paper shapes the letters were printed on are not a factor against a white background.
				Touch: When items get close enough they touch. They still are two different items but they seem to be attached together. This makes for a stronger gestalt than close edge. Notice in the example to the left that the touching groupings are stronger than the close edge groupings. In the example there are no size differences so the shape relationships are more noticeable. In the example below the letters and/or their colored backgrounds touch.
				Overlap: The strongest gestalt between two items happens when they overlap. Two colors are used in the example to the left to show the overlaps better. When the two items are the same color they seem to form a new, more complex shape. The new shape seems flat. When the items are different colors the overlap produces the illusion of a shallow space. The overlapped items form a strong group regardless of color. Notice the grouping hierarchy. The overlapped groups are the strongest. The two color groups are a close second to the all black group. Touching is next then close edge. Shape is probably the weakest gestalt in this example. In the example below the letters and/or their diferent colored backgrounds all overlap. All of the above examples of proximity relationships have used simple shapes that are grouped because of where they are placed in relationship to each other. No additional elements are used.
				Combine: It is possible to group various items together by using an external element that acts to combine the items regardless of what other gestalt concepts are being used. The underline used in the previous sentence is such a combining device. Notice that it groups the phrase "external element" and sets it off from the rest of the sentence. A significant characteristic of combining is that it both groups the items used and sets them apart from the rest of the information around them. This "highlighting" (another combining device) is perhaps the most significant aspect of this concept. It is used with information that the designer wants to call attention to. The quotation marks and brackets in this paragraph serve the same purpose. There are many ways to combine items. Underlining items, putting boxes around them and putting items against a background (such as a color or a picture) are the most common.