Course Curriculum

6 Sections
00

The Origins of Gestalt Psychology

4 Lessons 23 min
  • Course Overview & Downloads 4 min
  • Where Did “Gestalt” Principles Come From? 7 min
  • What Was the Early Evidence for Gestalt? 6 min
  • Gestalt’s Impact On UX Research 6 min

Resources Provided

  • 0.1_CheatSheet-1_Gestalt-Principles (PDF)
  • 0.1_CheatSheet-2_Gestalt-Principles_Checklist (PDF)
01

The Foundations of Visual Perception

6 Lessons 89 min
  • The Law of Prägnanz: Keeping Things Simple 5 min
  • The 7 Attributes of Prägnanz 11 min
  • Prägnanz Steps: Your Perceptual Benchmarks 12 min
  • Uniform Connectedness: How Many Objects Am I Looking At? 12 min
  • Figure-Ground: Which Objects Should I Focus On? 19 min
  • Where Are We Going Next? 6 min

Practice Activities

  • "Clarity Audit" (Instructions) 19 min
  • "Clarity Audit" (Walkthrough) 5 min
02

Attribute-Based Principles

8 Lessons 114 min
  • Proximity: What Is It? 17 min
  • Proximity: How Do I Use It? 13 min
  • Similarity: What Is It? 13 min
  • Similarity: How Do I Use It? 11 min
  • Symmetry: What Is It? 10 min
  • Symmetry: How Do I Use It? 9 min
  • Parallelism: What Is It? 8 min
  • Parallelism: How Do I Use It? 7 min

Practice Activities

  • Nintendo Design in Figma (Instructions) 19 min
  • Nintendo Design in Figma (Walkthrough) 7 min
03

Change-Based Principles

4 Lessons 54 min
  • Synchrony: What Is It? 8 min
  • Synchrony: How Do I Use It? 7 min
  • Common Fate: What Is It? 7 min
  • Common Fate: How Do I Use It? 9 min

Practice Activities

  • Document Viewer (Instructions) 17 min
  • Document Viewer (Walkthrough) 6 min
04

Contour-Based Principles

8 Lessons 97 min
  • Continuation: What Is It? 12 min
  • Continuation: How Do I Use It? 6 min
  • Common Region: What Is It? 12 min
  • Common Region: How Do I Use It? 7 min
  • Element Connectedness: What Is It? 9 min
  • Element Connectedness: How Do I Use It? 5 min
  • Closure: What Is It? 9 min
  • Closure: How Do I Use It? 11 min

Practice Activities

  • Data Dashboard (Instructions) 18 min
  • Data Dashboard (Walkthrough) 8 min
05

Applying Gestalt in Your Work

4 Lessons 33 min
  • Recognizing Gestalt in Research Data 10 min
  • Gestalt for Blind Users 10 min
  • Gestalt Principles in Computer Vision Tasks 8 min
  • Final Thoughts 5 min

Learning Outcomes

  • Use the Gestalt principles as a lightweight framework to structure new user interfaces.
  • Audit existing user interfaces with a Gestalt lens to move beyond “something doesn’t look right.”
  • Justify your design rationale by explaining the Gestalt principles in plain language.

Course Preview

 to watch NN/g videos

Tools Used in This Course

To complete activities in this course, you will need access to a free version of Figma.

All other resources can be accessed through a standard PDF reader.

Turn Problems Into Solutions

Stop mimicking designs you like and create principle-first, original interfaces

  • Give words to why some interfaces feel cleaner and more intuitive than others
  • Work within your design system to build simple, easy-to-understand screens
  • Start quickly when you’re facing a blank canvas with little guidance for structure and flow

Give design feedback grounded in research — not just your gut reactions

  • Identify exactly what makes a design feel “off,” and why
  • Propose design changes you can defend and feel confident about
  • Anticipate what users will find intuitive when you’re reviewing others’ work

Justify your design choices to any stakeholder using universal principles of human perception

  • Clearly explain your layout decisions to developers
  • Stand your ground when someone pushes to change your design
  • Predict ways your designs will work for users even when you can’t test it

What People Are Saying

  • I realized that the general knowledge of Gestalt principles available online is quite superficial compared to this course material. This deep dive into perception felt foundational and highly valuable for any experienced designer.

    Luciana Garcia
    Senior Product Designer, Beta Participant

  • Great speaker delivery! I appreciated how the content was structured. It provided a complete rundown of the principles and how to apply them in modern UX.

    Michael Martinjuk
    UI/UX Designer, Beta Participant

  • This course is amazing. The examples are exceptionally clear, and the editing and integration of those examples into the content are beautifully done. Without a doubt, the instructor did a fantastic job making a complex topic engaging—time flew by. Truly outstanding.

    Nora Guzmán
    UX Design Strategist, Beta Participant

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will I have access to this course?
Once purchased, your access will never expire. This ensures you can learn at your own pace and return to review content as often as you'd like, whenever you need.
Will I get personalized instructor feedback on course activities?
No, personalized feedback is not provided for activities completed during the course. Most courses provide answer keys to activities that help learners reflect on their progress and understanding of course materials and examples.
What content can I download?
You can download a variety of resources provided with each course, including templates, how-to guides, cheat sheets, posters, reading lists, and more. Video lessons provided in all courses will not be available for download.
Can I access this course offline or on a mobile device?
Offline access isn't available yet, although we plan to add it. Most courses offer downloadable resources for offline reference.

For the best experience, mobile devices are not recommended.
Is this course eligible for the NNGroup UX Certification Program?
Unfortunately, self-paced courses do not count toward UX Certification. However, learners who complete the final exam will receive a “Recognition of Completion” to demonstrate their achievement.

See our Live Online courses for options that count toward UX Certification.
What can I share with my employer to show I’ve completed the training?
Upon completing a course’s final assessment, you will receive a “Recognition of Completion” showcasing your dedication to learning the topic. This document can be shared with your employer or professional network to demonstrate your new skills and commitment to professional development.