The eye follows the smoothest available path through a scene, and keeps following it past breaks, overlaps, and gaps. The Law of Continuity is one of the original Gestalt principles, identified in the 1920s alongside proximity and similarity. It describes why a row of dots arranged along a gentle arc reads as a single curve rather than a dozen unrelated points, and why two lines crossing at an angle are read as two lines passing through each other rather than four separate segments meeting at a point.
Law of Continuity
Why the eye keeps following a line past every gap and overlap
A
Designers Academy
3 July 2026 · 3 min read
DesignPrinciples
In brief
The Law of Continuity is a Gestalt principle where the eye naturally follows the smoothest visual path, helping designers guide user attention and create calm, predictable interfaces.
