Forms and Psychology in Design
∙08/2019
∙UEMG
The study of form is a multidisciplinary one. In its broader sense it stretches from string theory in the field of mathematics to psychology applied to architecture and design. Today we are focusing on the latter and talking about how form can be applied and manipulated to make your client/user feel how you want him to.
These figures represent forms, or groups of forms that are organized in different ways to express different things as described by Wucius Wong in his book “Principles of Form and Design”. This first picture is the most basic of groups, the modular grid. The modular grid is the basic of UX design, being the wireframe behind Bootstrap 4, the most widely used CSS framework on the web. The modular grid is also a common occurrence in urban planning being used in cities like Barcelona and New York.
Here is another grouping of forms, this time on what Wong refers to as a “Hierarchy of Weight and Scale”. This grouping should be familiar to everyone, as it’s used in almost all modern UIs from MacOS’s navigation bar to Netflix’s movie catalogue. Understanding the importance of sizing your elements correctly (and according to user need) is vital for building anything.
Negative/positive is another one of Wong’s groupings that is already deeply rooted in our culture but hides in places you wouldn’t think of. This is the grouping most “accept cookies” buttons use, it instinctively guides your attention and frames the option as to incline the user to “accept terms and conditions” without reading them first.
Wong’s work lays the foundation upon which design is built and is a must read for everyone, from architects to sales people. Design is everywhere and knowing how it acts and how to manipulate gives you a better, broader outlook on the problems you’re trying to solve.
