Psychology of shapes in Design: how different shapes can affect people behavior (2024)

When people view shapes, a multitude of psychological occur. Each attributing different emotions, thoughts, and perceptions that resonate with our brain–the viewers’ brains. Shapes are the main part of graphic design by choosing the shapes which provoke the desire response, designers are able to influence the way in which people feel about the design and ultimately, how they perceive what the shapes stand for. It means, we can use these shapes to transmit different feelings to the viewer as people may not notice these shapes directly but they will get an important impact on their feelings and behavior after they saw it and we as graphic designers can use these elements to reinforce a message through our design. In this case, intelligent and successful designers are perfectly aware of the reaction their designs have and how these can change according to variables such as age, gender, culture, and social preferences.

Since many years ago, experts have studied how different shapes can affect people’s behaviour and identify the persona of each viewer as every shape has its own meaning and influence differently to the viewer’s mind. This doesn’t happen by coincidence, this is called the psychology of shapes. To discover more about how you can use the psychology of shape in design to create a more meaningful design, first, we need to understand what the hidden messages in shapes are and in this article, we will show you the different types of shapes and how to use it in graphic design.

Squares and Rectangles

The most common shapes in graphic design are squares and rectangles. We always see them easily in our daily life because these shapes are the most common in design layouts. Square shapes are formed by straight lines and right angles that give viewers a sense of reliability and security and these attributes make people feel safe and contained.

Something to carefully consider when using squares though is not is considered too boring. Without the correct use of colour, shading, and effects then a square or rectangle can portray dullness and a lack of imagination for many viewers.

Triangles

If you want to represent stability, balance, and movement in your design, triangles are the right shape to use. Triangles commonly defined as energetic and dynamic shape attributes that makes triangles used to represent motion and direction.

Usually, viewers will see to the top of the triangle shape automatically, If triangles are facing left or right, it represents progression: either forwards in the sense of moving onward, or backwards in the sense of backtracking or dwelling in the past. Consider the iconic “play” button for videos. It’s worth noting that which side represents which depends on the direction that culture reads; in Western cultures that read left-to-right, a right-facing arrow represents forward progression.

Circles, Ovals and Ellipses

Circles–and other circular shapes like ovals and ellipses–are some of the most classic shapes in design. Circles unlike other geometric shapes, don’t have angles, and it makes circles feel softer and milder than others shapes. Commonly they represent both unity and protection. Circular shapes are much friendlier shape than the others for encompassing other images within. Because they tend to “invite” the viewers into their “completeness”.

In web design, circle shapes are commonly used for small icons. They are one of the most popular shapes for designers because they are very noticeable and simple but very powerful graphic elements and it will put viewers at ease to see them. Circles never stop, and so neither does the eye when viewing them, giving them a childlike whimsy.

Pentagons, Hexagons and Octagons

When you think of pentagons, hexagons, and octagons shapes all around us, the most relatable objects that use these polygons shapes are nuts and bolt heads. They are the predominantly used polygons shape for nuts and bolts because of their unique features. That polygons are not very often used in design projects due to their complexity, but we can see polygon shapes to represent real elements from our daily lives in form of icons or logos.

These polygons due to their geometric nature are also used as puzzle pieces to create larger compositions and organize the information in your design, and are very common especially in infographic design.

Abstract Shapes

When using abstract shapes, however, keep in mind that the individual aspects you use retain their symbolism from their original shapes. It will be a visual symbol that can be abstract ideas or simplified versions of an organic shape, in some cases abstract shape can be difficult to associate with some ideas due to their abstract anatomy, and in some cases, the idea is behind a small detail of the shape. What that means is, if you use the top half of a circle and the bottom half of a square, you will create an abstract shape that exhibits both the playful features of a circle and the serious features of a square.

You can craft an abstract shape to meet whatever needs you may have. Maybe you want to create something the world has never seen before in order to stand out from the crowd. Using abstract shapes can have infinite meanings as they literally can represent anything in any way.

Shapes play a crucial role in all graphic design projects, they will transmit your goals, what they do and their philosophy by using the right shape in design. Shapes will influence how viewers perceive and react to them. Making informed decisions about the use of shapes, colour, fonts, and overall composition will lead to a design that resonates with your target audience while inspiring trust and confidence in your projects or brand.