People see ambiguous or complex scenes in the simplest form they can.
Reduce a screen to the fewest shapes and elements that still do the job, and arrange them in a simple, orderly way.
Max Wertheimer introduced the idea of Prägnanz in his 1923 paper on how people organise what they see. The German word is usually translated as good form or simplicity, and the principle is often called the law of simplicity: the mind prefers the simplest, most orderly interpretation of what it sees. It is one of the Gestalt principles of perception, alongside closure, continuity and proximity.
A welcome screen with badges, three small illustrations, carousel dots and four buttons has no simple shape for the eye to settle on, so people cannot tell where to start. Cut it to one illustration, one headline and one main button and the screen reads as a single form with an obvious next step. The Olympic rings work the same way: a few overlapping circles that the mind takes in as one simple, memorable shape.
Not every screen should be sparse. Expert tools, such as a trading dashboard, an editor or a spreadsheet, work better with many controls in view, and stripping them out makes work slower. Match the density to the task (see Density Matches Context), and simplify the structure and the hierarchy even when the screen has to be full.
Squint at the screen or look at it for two seconds, then look away. Can you say what it is and what to do next? If not, there are still too many competing shapes.
People see complex or ambiguous scenes in the simplest, most orderly form they can. It is also called the law of simplicity or good form.
Max Wertheimer introduced the idea in his 1923 paper on perceptual organisation. It is one of the Gestalt principles, developed with Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang Köhler.
The Olympic rings, which the mind reads as simple interlocking circles, and a welcome screen reduced to one illustration, one headline and one main button.
It is closely related, but it is about perception: the mind organises what it sees into the simplest form it can. Simple-looking screens can still be complex to use, so simplify the decisions as well as the visuals.
When the task needs many controls in view, as in editors, dashboards and other expert tools. Match the density to the task and simplify the structure instead of removing what people need.
A welcome screen shows a row of badges, three small illustrations, carousel dots and four buttons. New users bounce, and testers say they don't know where to start.