How it Works: Our brains separate objects from their backgrounds to help us focus on what’s important. When there’s ambiguity between figure and ground, it can create an interesting, dynamic tension in the perception of the image.

In Design: Figure-ground relationships are critical in creating contrast and hierarchy. Designers play with positive (figure) and negative (ground) space to create compositions where the figure clearly stands out, or in some cases, challenge the viewer to shift focus between the two.

Example: The famous Rubin vase image, where you can either see two faces or a vase, depending on whether your brain perceives the faces as the figure and the vase as the ground, or vice versa.