# law-of-proximity

> Apply the Law of Proximity to group related elements through spatial relationships in UI layouts.

- Skill: `owl-listener/law-of-proximity` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add owl-listener/law-of-proximity`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/owl-listener/law-of-proximity/raw
- Safety review: PASS (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Design & Media, Coding & Dev Tools, UI Design
- Tags: Gestalt Principles, Layout, Spatial Grouping, Ui Design, Visual Hierarchy, Whitespace
- Author: Owl Listener (https://skillmd.com/u/owl-listener)
- Updated: 2026-07-06
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/owl-listener/law-of-proximity

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# 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