The next time I sit down to design software, I will be more intentional about how users see and interact with the interface. Gestalt principles remind me that people process screens by naturally grouping, connecting and interpreting what they see. When buttons are placed close together or a color palette and shape is repeated throughout the software, the layout will feel intuitive, thus forming a personal relationship or journey with the user.
Fitts’s Law highlights the physical side of interaction. It shows how the size and placements of targets directly shape the user experience. Larger, closer buttons are quicker and easier to press, while small and distant buttons slow users down and increases the chance of errors. Therefore, commonly used buttons should be larger and grouped together, with enough distance to reduce visual clutter, making the interface more intuitive to the user.
Ultimately, Gestalt helps me to structure information in a way that feels intuitive, while Fitts’s law ensures those structures remain efficient and ergonomic to interact with. Applying both Gestalt principles with Fitts’s Law allows me to bridge the gap between perception and action when creating the interactive aspects of the software.