Creating Relationships: Proximity in Design

The dictionary defines proximity as "nearness in place, time, order, occurrence, or relation." In design and page layout, proximity is a principle of design used to group elements. Items that are near each other are generally perceived to have some sort of relationship to each other. If they don't, it can create a disconnect for the viewer. And if elements that belong together are spread too far apart on the page (print  page or Web page) it can make it more difficult for readers to find important information. Keep your design together by brushing up on the princple of proximity (and its close cousin unity).