--- title: Your UI doesn't always need to show everything. | daily.dev description: The Gestalt Principle of Closure explains how the brain fills in missing visual information to perceive an incomplete shape or pattern as complete. Designers... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/your-ui-doesn-t-always-need-to-show-everything--sbknmxgea twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Your UI doesn't always need to show everything. | daily.dev og:description: The Gestalt Principle of Closure explains how the brain fills in missing visual information to perceive an incomplete shape or pattern as complete. Designers... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/your-ui-doesn-t-always-need-to-show-everything--sbknmxgea og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/SBkNMXgea.png og:image:alt: Your UI doesn't always need to show everything. og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Your UI doesn't always need to show everything. **[Khishamuddin Syed](https://daily.dev/sources/vqsduiixz6ants1eklmwz)** · [@webkmsyed](https://daily.dev/webkmsyed) · 2 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary The Gestalt Principle of Closure explains how the brain fills in missing visual information to perceive an incomplete shape or pattern as complete. Designers can use this to simplify interfaces without losing meaning, such as showing a partially cropped card in a horizontal list to signal 'swipe for more' without an explicit label. The caveat is that missing information must still be predictable enough for users to mentally complete the picture, otherwise minimalism turns into confusion rather than clarity. ## Content **Day 08 of UI/UX Psychology & Laws: Gestalt Principle of Closure**  Sometimes, leaving something incomplete actually makes it easier to understand. That's the **Gestalt Principle of Closure**. Our brain naturally fills in missing pieces and tries to perceive incomplete visuals as a complete whole. Designers can use this to create interfaces that feel simpler without removing meaning. Think about: → Minimal logos → Incomplete shapes → Cropped content cards → Progress indicators → Simple icons → Visual patterns For example, a horizontal list of cards doesn't always need to show every card completely. Showing part of the next card can communicate: **"There's more to explore."** The user understands the pattern without needing an extra label saying "Swipe for more." That's Closure at work. But there's an important design lesson here: **Don't remove information just to make a UI look minimal.** The missing information still needs to be predictable enough for the user to complete the picture mentally. Too much information creates clutter. Too little creates confusion. Good UI finds the point where the user's brain can complete the rest. That's why great design isn't always about adding more. Sometimes, it's about knowing **what you can leave out.** Which UI/UX psychology principle should I break down next? #UIUX #UXDesign #UIDesign #ProductDesign #UXPsychology #DesignPsychology ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [14 cognitive principles every UX designer should know](https://daily.dev/posts/14-cognitive-principles-every-ux-designer-should-know-ye462p4rv) · LogRocket · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [10 design psychology principles every UI/UX designer should know](https://daily.dev/posts/10-design-psychology-principles-every-ui-ux-designer-should-know-ilhgwkkue) · Medium · 14 upvotes · 0 comments - [How to Design Interfaces People Find Effortless \(Using Real Science\)](https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-design-interfaces-people-find-effortless-using-real-science--lvw8gx6yn) · DEV · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Controlling Your Environment Makes You Happy \(2000\)](https://daily.dev/posts/controlling-your-environment-makes-you-happy-2000--5tex4q2na) · Lobsters · 1 upvotes · 0 comments - [How to Apply Academic Theories to Human-Centered Web Design \[Full Handbook](https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-apply-academic-theories-to-human-centered-web-design-full-handbook-qkixktlax) · freeCodeCamp · 16 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#ui-design](https://daily.dev/tags/ui-design) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/your-ui-doesn-t-always-need-to-show-everything--sbknmxgea) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https://daily.dev/posts/your-ui-doesn-t-always-need-to-show-everything--sbknmxgea","headline":"Your UI doesn't always need to show everything.","text":"The Gestalt Principle of Closure explains how the brain fills in missing visual information to perceive an incomplete shape or pattern as complete. 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