Pattern Types

Motif vs pattern: what's the difference? A beginner's guide

A motif is a single design element; a pattern is that element repeated by rule. This guide explains the difference...

Pattern Types

Seasonal motifs in British design: spring florals, autumn leaves and winter tartan

How British design reads the year in pattern — spring florals, summer stripes, autumn leaves and winter tartan —...

Pattern Types

How to draw a seamless repeating motif by hand

A practical, hand-drawn route to a repeating motif that joins invisibly — planning the tile, matching the edges,...

Pattern Types

Beginner's guide to identifying common design motifs

A practical introduction to the main design motif families — florals, geometrics, animals and abstracts — and how to...