“Such unusual confidence and vision for a student project—with a friendly user interface.” —juror Gabe Kean

“A playful interaction that stands on its own.” —juror Megan Meeker

Overview: Pattern: Learn, Create, Share, Repeat interweaves do-it-yourself (DIY) fabric design with technology. This proof of concept for an interactive app enables and inspires users to learn about, design and share repeat patterns. The content, structured in four main sections, takes an educational approach that promotes learning. Users access information on historical and contemporary precedents of design principles and technical skills, all within the setting of an online creative community.

•The project took about a year to produce.
•DIY learning communities are the target audience.
•The makers have plans to produce the app and market it in the iTunes App Store.

Comments by Chrissie Van Hoever:
What do you think are the project’s core features? “The app is divided into four sections: History, Handbook, Design and Community. The History section is an interactive timeline that covers the history of pattern design from ancient Egypt through today, and it enables users to explore detailed information on specific pattern examples as well as articles on key events and influential designers. The Handbook section combines text, images and animations that provide instruction on the principles of repeat pattern design through the lens of historical and contemporary examples. The Design section provides users with the digital tools they need to practice and create their own repeat patterns. Finally, the Community section enables users to share their designs and discoveries with others.”

What was the thinking behind the navigational structure? “I wanted to have the four distinct learning areas within the application—History, Handbook, Design and Community—while still allowing for easy navigation between the sections to help users make connections. The four topic areas are represented with a word, an icon and a color. The left sidebar navigation is always visible in all sections. It can be collapsed or pulled open like a drawer to view subnavigation within a specific section.”

Was the topic of the project a new one for you? “Repeat pattern design was a relatively new topic for me. My master’s degree concentration was in animation and interactive design; however, I spent a great deal of time in fiber and surface design classes. I teetered between the two fields and struggled to figure out how to resolve my seemingly disparate interests. As I dove deeper into studying repeat pattern design, I was disappointed at the lack of quality and depth in contemporary resources on the subject. Knowing that those in the DIY community have a huge interest in being able to design their own fabrics—think custom design fabric shop Spoonflower in Durham, North Carolina—I saw an opportunity to fill a gap. That is when it became clear to me how to merge my interest in interactive design with repeat pattern design.”