If you’ve started creating pattern designs, you may want to move on to the next step of turning those designs into pattern collections.  So what should you include in pattern collection?

Start with your Wow factor Hero design

The very first place to start when you are creating a design collection is with your wow factor hero design. This should be the main design of your collection and it should tell the story of your collection. It should be what all of the other designs are based on.

You really want to spend your time on this to get it right as you want to ensure it stands out as being the wow factor. Your hero design will usually be the most complex in the collections and will most often use most of the colours in your colour palette. Most importantly, when you put all of your designs together, you want your hero design to stand out as the main design in the collection.

Coordinate designs

Once you have created your hero design, you can then start adding in a range of coordinating designs. There are lots of different sorts of coordinating designs that you can include, but the main role of coordinate designs is that they should go cohesively with your main design.

A good example of where you often see coordinate designs used on products is in homewares. Bedlinen is a really good example of this. For example on the front of a quilt cover, we’ll often see a hero or main design which is a standout design. And then if you flip back the quilt cover and you looked on the reverse, you will often see a coordinating design that ties back to the main design.

Coordinate designs are usually simpler, less complex designs with fewer colours. But, most importantly its main role is to make sure that it accompanies the main design, sits with the main design and works with it well.

How many designs should you include?

If you’re going to create a range of coordinating designs you’re probably wondering ‘how many designs should I include? The number of designs in your collection can really vary. You can have like a mini collection that has four designs or you could have a collection with dozens of designs. This will be dependent on who and what you are designing for and your brief.  The main point of your collection though is that all of the designs go together really well and tell your story.

Ensure your designs are cohesive

Most importantly, if you laid all of your designs out together, none of the designs should stand out as not belonging.

They should all go together really well.

No matter how many co-ordinate designs you include the main objective is to make sure that it is a collection. So, therefore, all of the designs are cohesive and no design stands out as not belonging.

You’re going to do this through your use of color, theme and motif.

To ensure your colour palette remains cohesive, spend time before you start designing ensuring that it is well resolved.

You can ensure your motifs go together well by your choice of media and keeping them consistent in theme and style.

Remember you want them all of the designs to unite as one whole package.  So make sure you think about that before you begin.

If we go back to the bedding range, you could also have a European pillowcase with a different design on it the compliments the rest of the collection. You could also have coordinating throw cushions.

Tips to creating interest in your collections

Some of the elements that will help add depth and interest to your collection is by thinking of your use of colour. Try using different combinations of the colours within your palette and think about colour proportion. Also think about scale, repeat type, motif creation and ensuring you have depth and movement within your collection.

Most importantly, make sure that when you creating your collection that you start with your hero or main design and then work your coordinates from there. Make sure that no design stands out as not belonging, and make sure the entire collection is cohesive.