Gestalt Principles of Perception:

Almost everything that makes graphic design work can be found in a set of laws and principles collectively known as the Gestalt principles of perception. There is no more powerful tool at a designers disposal than a comprehensive grasp of these principles. By the same token, those who dont have a good grasp of them are lost when faced with design projects and often go fishing on design gallery sites, being relegated to clich motifs and layouts. .. . Rutledge, 2008)
Gestalt is a psychology term which means "unified whole". It refers to theories of visual perception developed by German psychologists in the 1920s. The Gestalt principles were introduced in a seminal paper by Wertheimer (1923/1938), and were further developed by Khler (1929), Koffka (1935), and Metzger (1936/2006). These theories attempt to describe how people tend to organize visual elements into groups or unified wholes when certain principles are applied. Here are simple definitions for the Gestalt principles of perception.
Youll notice that most of these principles seem to be variations of each other and are otherwise closely related. Theres good reason for this, as they all refer to relationships. Human perception is governed by relationships; how things are similar or dissimilar, how they contrast or blend with one another, and how arrangements of things suggest hierarchies and are affected by context. Law of Prgnanz

Humans tend to interpret ambiguous or complex images as simple and complete. We tend to order our experience in a manner that is regular, orderly, symmetric, and simple.
Figure Ground Relationship

Elements are perceived as either figures (distinct elements of focus) or ground (the background or landscape on which the figures rest).

In this image below, the figure and ground relationships change as the eye perceives the the form of a shade or the silhouette of a face.

Do you see black horses or white horses?

Uniform Connectedness Elements that share uniform visual characteristics are perceived as being more related than elements with disparate visual characteristics.

In web design, it is common to employ uniform connectedness to show context. Tabbed navigation is a prime example of this principle. When you have two visually and proximally distinct elements (navigation link and page copy), the easiest way to show related context is to enclose disparate elements, like this:

Good Continuation Elements arranged on a line or curve are perceived to be more related than elements not on the line or curve. Continuation occurs when the eye is compelled
to move through one object and continue to another object.

Continuation occurs in the example above, because the viewer's eye will naturally follow a line or curve. The smooth flowing crossbar of the "H" leads the eye directly to the maple leaf.

Closure

When looking at a complex arrangement of individual elements, humans tend to first look for a single, recognizable pattern. Closure occurs when an object is incomplete or a space is not completely enclosed.
If enough of the shape is indicated, people perceive the whole by filling in the missing information.

Although the panda above is not complete, enough is present for the eye to complete the shape. When the viewer's perception completes a shape, closure occurs. Closure occurs in the graphic below with the M.

Common Fate Humans tend to perceive elements moving in the same direction as being more related than elements that are stationary or that move in different directions.

Proximity Things that are close to one another are perceived to be more related than things that are spaced farther apart. Proximity occurs when elements are placed close together. They tend to be perceived as a group.

The nine squares above are placed without proximity. They are perceived as separate shapes.

When the squares are given close proximity, unity occurs. While they continue to be separate shapes, they are now perceived as one group.

The fifteen figures above form a unified whole (the shape of a tree) because of their proximity.

Similarity
Things that are similar are perceived to be more related than things that are dissimilar. Similarity occurs when objects look similar to one another. People often perceive them as a group or pattern.

The example above (containing 11 distinct objects) appears as as single unit because all of the shapes have similarity.

Unity occurs because the triangular shapes at the bottom of the eagle symbol look similar to the shapes that form the sunburst. When similarity occurs, an object can be emphasized if it is dissimilar to the others - i.e., is an anomally to other objects.

The figure on the far right becomes a focal point because it is dissimilar to the other shapes.

This image uses complex figure/ground relationships which change upon perceiving leaves, water and tree trunk.

From: http://graphicdesign.spokanefalls.edu/principles/gestaltprinc.htm