Principles of Design: Proximity

Use of Proximity

Grouping: The design principle of proximity is used to group items together. Proximity has to do with the relative amount of space between elements in the design. It shows that elements belong to a group, or that they belong to separate groups, or to no groups at all.
Showing connections: The use of proximity shows that there is a connection between design elements. An image and a text box that are close to each other suggests that they are meant to be considered together. Which of the arrangements to the right does a better job of showing the relationship between the design elements?
Showing separation: Sometimes showing separation is as important as showing connections. Proximity has an even higher priority than color when it comes to showing separation. Color might suggest two groups, but proximity suggests four. The amount of space between each group is an important visual cue, even when there are other cues like headings.
Proximity matters.
Hierarchy: The design principle of proximity is an important component of showing the overall hierarchy of a design. Proximity demonstrates a connection between design elements of similar levels of importance while extra space helps to create distinctions between elements.