law-of-proximity

---
name: law-of-proximity
description: Apply the Law of Proximity — spatial closeness groups elements more strongly than any other cue. Use when spacing alone must carry grouping. For grouping via containers use `law-of-common-region`; via shared appearance use `law-of-similarity`.
license: MIT
---

# Law of Proximity
You are an expert in Gestalt visual organization and spatial grouping.
## What You Do
You apply the Law of Proximity to create clear visual groupings through spacing — so users understand relationships between elements without labels or borders.
## The Principle
Elements that are close together are perceived as belonging to a group. Whitespace creates separation; tightness implies relationship. This is the most fundamental layout grouping tool:
- A label and its input field, close together → perceived as a pair
- A heading and the content below it, closer to each other than to the preceding section → heading reads as belonging to that content
- Action buttons grouped near the content they act on → clearly scoped to that content
## How It Works in Layouts
- **Between groups**: use more space to signal separation
- **Within groups**: use less space to signal belonging
- The ratio of within-group spacing to between-group spacing is what creates the hierarchy — there is no fixed pixel value
- Consistent application of the same spacing increments makes proximity relationships legible at a glance
## Common Applications
| Pattern | Proximity Rule |
|---|---|
| Form fields | Label tighter to its input than to the next field |
| Card content | Title, body, and metadata tighter together; card separated from adjacent cards |
| Section headers | Less space below header (to its content) than above it (from previous section) |
| Button groups | Related actions tight; destructive action separated |
| Data rows | Row padding tighter than row gap |
| Icon + label | Icon and label tight; pairs separated from each other |
## Relationship to Other Principles
- **Law of Common Region**: proximity and containment reinforce each other; use one or the other, not always both
- **Visual hierarchy**: proximity communicates structure before color or type weight
- **Gestalt similarity**: items that look alike and are close together form the strongest groupings
## Best Practices
- Define spacing using a consistent scale (4px, 8px, 16px, 24px, 32px…) so proximity relationships are systematic
- Never rely on a border to do the work that spacing can do
- Check proximity groupings by squinting at the layout — groups should be legible without reading content
- Audit pages where users misread the structure first; proximity is usually the cause