‘Whether it’s the sound of drums, a pan of fresh baked cookies or a tray filled with with seedlings…an arbor of roses, a staircase winding or not, a row of rounded boxwoods or clothes pins on a line. Repetition is the Strength, the Unity, the Structure, the very Heartbeat of Good Design.’    B.W.

One of my 9 Principles of Design is ‘Shape and Form’. Yet, without the strength and unity of repetition- shape and form of any creative endeavor might fail to impress. Think about it. Repetitive shapes or sounds form the basis of Art of the finest order.

Drummers are uniformed, let one of them miss a beat and the melody of the other instruments could fall apart. And… We all love songs with the repetition of a chorus, right? Seedlings are charming alone, even more so in a group. An arbor of roses is pleasing to the eye as much for the repetition of the arches as for the profusion of bloom. A Checker Board is a classic example of Repetitive Design. A cooling rack filled with cookies, even if they aren’t the exact same size, still the eye sees repetition.

A winding staircase works simply because the treads are spaced at a repetitive shape, form and space. An historic staircase is beautiful – even more so because of the repetition of woodwork, including spindles and dare I add? the Color.

We’ve found rounded boxwoods tend to look good year round because of the consistent shape and form. Even clothespins on an empty line are unified in type and shape, even if they aren’t lined up. Why? Repetition of course.

We love consistency. When a design is unified it gives a sense of order and peace. Repetition could be compared to the skeleton or structure on which any or all of the elements are layered on. Alone, it might be overdone. Just remember, that repetition, whether in color, shape or form is very important in design.

Whether it’s the sound of drums, a pan of fresh baked cookies or a tray of seedlings..  An arbor of roses, a staircase winding or not, a row of boxwoods or clothespins on a line.. Repetition is good in writing, marketing- making a point in different ways over and over. Repetition is the strength, the unity, the structure, the very heartbeat of Good Design.

Love y’all, Brenda

I’ve been working on a little project which includes the 9 Principles of Design… stay tuned!