The Value of Surface Pattern Design

Often when I tell people I am a surface pattern designer, there is almost always a confused look on their face. Not many know what that is but ironically almost everyone has been influenced by it on a daily basis. What is surface pattern design and why is it important? It is important because it brings value. How does it bring value? The value is plenty and depends on the purpose, the how and the who. In the most basic terms it is a set of colors, shapes and motifs composed into patterns and illustrations created through hand drawn or digital means used on almost any surface such as textile, paper products, wallpaper, tile, packaging and the list goes on.

For example, the interior designer and home decorator utilizes patterns as a tool that is very useful for it helps them tell a story about the vision that is being created for a space. It helps them deliver this vision by adding character, ambience and backdrop. It sets the stage. When a client walks into a room, the patterns, colors and shapes on the wallpaper or the print on the textiles and upholstery transports them to a space that has meaning and tells a story. It can evoke serene calmness, it can induce creative focus such as in an office, it can bring a bit of whimsical fun to a space. It completes a composition that is cohesive and provides an experience.

Another exanple of good surface design is in product packaging. The value that surface design brings to those in retail is immense. Packagaing is what attracts a customer to your product and it allows your customer to form an attachment to a product in a myriad of ways. It provides mood and an emotional connection to the product. It is another selling point that only adds to the product and it’s value. Again the colors, patterns and composotion of the design all play a role in evoking sentiment and story. The design can be highly specific or vague ultimately drawing and attracting the right customer to the product for a further look and an emotional response, raising the chance of a purchase. It can help your product stand out from the crowd.

Above are just a few examples of how surface pattern design provides value and why it is relevant. It is what tugs at the emotional strings of a client or customer by providing an experience and a narrative that undeniably provides value.

I hope the next time you see a pattern, design or illustration in a space or on a product you take a moment and allow the story to unfold and appreciate the experience it offers and perhaps you may also be enticed to bring your vision alive with surface pattern design.