Module 4 Book: Designing PowerPoint Presentations for All

Proximity

“Items relating to each other should be grouped close together. When several items are close in proximity to each other, they become one visual unit rather than several separate units”

(Williams, 1994, p. 14)

Organization is the main purpose of proximity. Grouping similar elements implies a relationship between the items. Although we may group certain content in our minds, this grouping needs to be represented visually as well.

In the following slide, the information is all evenly spaced which doesn’t give us a sense of how the elements work together. Now, our brain must spend extra time and effort on determining how these elements relate to each other.

Slide where information is evenly spaced out one after another

On the contrary, look what happens when we apply the principle of proximity in the slide below. By grouping related elements together, it immediately helps us understand the first two elements relate to information about the person and the last two elements relate to their contact information.

Slide where 2 elements are placed close together and then separated from 2 other elements that are placed close together

That being said, both proximity (closeness) and lack of proximity (lack of closeness) indicate a relationship so be sure to consider that in your design.

In the following image, there is no proximity or lack of proximity between any elements so it takes more mental processing to determine what information belongs together:

Slide where all information is placed on separate lines, evenly spaced

On the contrary, in the next image, there is:

proximity between the elements for each assignment, indicating they are related.
a lack of proximity between the two assignments, indicating they are not related.

Slide where information forms groups due to adding additional space between unrelated items

Tip!

Don’t be afraid of white space (the blank space around text, images, etc. on a slide)! It gives our brain the necessary space to process and understand how elements on the slide relate or don’t relate to one another.

Proximity Activity

The following slide design doesn't follow the principle of proximity. Think about the changes you would make. Then, drag the white vertical bar to the left to reveal a new design that follows the principle of proximity.

(Refresh your screen if the window below is displaying small)

Minimalist Resume from Slides Carnival.