Common Region

The principle that elements located within the same area are perceived to be grouped together

Why it matters

The strongest of the Gestalt grouping cues: draw a boundary around things and they become one thing, overriding proximity and similarity alike. It is why cards work — and why a misplaced border can silently glue unrelated items together.

See it

Six identical items, identical spacing — the boundary alone decides whether you see six things or two groups.

The numbers

Region beats proximity — a boundary regroups items regardless of spacing

Related terms

Elements
Similarity
Negative/White space
Proximity
Gestalt Principles

Go deeper in Learn UX

Most common Biases Impostor Syndrome & Biases

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