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Graphic Design vocabulary · Design Principles

Proximity

Meaning in graphic design, with examples

/prɑːkˈsɪməti/nounCommon term

In graphic design, proximity means: The design principle that related items should be placed close together and unrelated items further apart, so readers understand at a glance what belongs together.

In Turkish: yakınlık, yakınlık ilkesi

How it is used

Used in design classes and critiques, often together with alignment, repetition and contrast. Designers group items by proximity, for example a caption close to its photo or a label close to its form field.

Example sentences

  1. The price is closer to the next product than to its own, so proximity is sending the wrong message.

  2. Use proximity to group the contact details instead of drawing boxes around them.

Common collocations

  • principle of proximity
  • group by proximity
  • proximity and alignment
  • close proximity
  • alignmentThe way elements line up with each other or with an edge, for example text set flush left, centred or justified, which helps a design look neat and connected.
  • white spaceThe empty areas around and between elements in a design. It does not have to be white; it is any space left free so the design can breathe and the content is easier to read.
  • visual hierarchyThe order in which people notice and read the parts of a design, created with size, colour, contrast, position and spacing, so the most important message is seen first.
  • balanceThe way the visual weight of elements is spread across a design so that it feels stable. Balance can be symmetrical, with mirror-like halves, or asymmetrical.

More terms: Design Principles

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