Pattern Recognition

Once in awhile, I find a great piece of design I’d never seen. This week, I discovered Herbert Bayer’s cover for Arquitectura magazine. Yes, I’m a sucker for intense color and pattern. But, then, who isn’t? I love when a designer uses pattern to reference cultural ideas. If we strive to create work that makes something mundane spectacular, pattern is a wonderful tool. Giovanni Pintori’s 1949 Olivetti poster uses simple numerals to make a compelling message. These examples look so effortless, and playful, we are led to believe they were easy solutions. Oddly, this is not so. I’ve seen some purty darned ugly patterns in my time. Patterns that make no sense, have no significance, and are simply a last resort created because Adobe Illustrator has a “duplicate” function. So, if you’re thinking, “Gee, I could just make a pattern for the next project. I’d be done in 10 minutes,” stop. It will take more time than you expect, you may fail and fall into a shame spiral. But, if you are patient and work hard, you may create something wonderful.