Laws / Perception
Law of proximity
Things that are close together are seen as belonging together.
Why it matters
Spacing is the cheapest grouping tool there is. Equal spacing everywhere makes people guess which label belongs to which field.
Rules to follow
- Space inside a group must be clearly smaller than space between groups (at least 2×).
- Put labels close to their own field, not halfway to the next one.
- Separate unrelated sections with whitespace before reaching for lines or boxes.
- Use a spacing scale (4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48) and stick to it.