MODULE: Gestalt theory
Step 12 of 16: Past experience
The Law of Past experience accommodates an understanding that the accumulation of spatial and visual experience of an audience lends itself to the grouping of elements according to cultural and environmental understandings which varies from group-to-group, country-to-country. Speech bubbles and thought bubbles are good examples; they do not exist in the world and the concept is instilled in children from a young age as they practice reading. The cultural symbol uses Proximity, Continuity and Regularity to establish grouping/ownership of who is saying what. The Design of many icons is reliant on Past experience too, which makes them at once powerful and also susceptible to misinterpretation, for example the "Hamburger menu" relies on experience rather than being self-explanatory. Even the rhythm of the lines across a zebra crossing culturally condition people to consider them as a "whole" path. Though, while commonplace, not all cultures across the globe can be expected to understand intuitively what they mean.
