Law of Prägnanz
Ambiguous visual information tends to settle into a stable, regular, and economical interpretation.
When a layout supports two readings, the clearer structure usually wins.
Three overlapping circles can still be read as three complete circles rather than a collection of irregular fragments. The visual system settles on a coherent whole. Interfaces are read the same way, often before the details are examined.
Origin
Prägnanz is a central idea in Gestalt psychology. Koffka described perceptual organization as becoming as good as conditions allow, where good includes properties such as regularity, stability, and simplicity.
Reduce competing interpretations. Alignment, shape, spacing, and hierarchy should point to the same reading of the screen.
Prefer regular structures when they clarify the task. A stable grid or repeated component can make differences easier to notice.
Do not treat simplicity as visual emptiness. A slightly richer design can be easier to understand when it makes the structure explicit.
Test the first reading, not only the final explanation. Ask what people think belongs together before they inspect every label.
Digital systems
A clear icon silhouette
The icon uses a stable outline that remains recognizable at small sizes. Removing incidental detail helps the intended shape survive scaling and quick scanning.
Physical signals
Figures in a constellation
People connect selected stars into a familiar figure instead of experiencing each point as unrelated. The pattern provides a stable way to organize the field.
Competing alignments, shapes, or groups make an unintended interpretation easier to see than the structure the product depends on.
Remove unnecessary visual competition and make the intended groups, paths, and actions the most stable interpretation of the page.