This document discusses the importance of repetition in design. It provides examples of how repetition can be used consistently across magazines, movie posters, flyers, websites and other materials to create visual interest and unity. Repetition helps keep the reader engaged and makes it obvious that different issues or pieces belong together under the same brand. Consistent use of fonts, layouts, graphics and other design elements from page to page or issue to issue allows the reader to easily recognize and connect with the brand over time.

1. K N O W N A S “ C O N S I S T E N C Y ”
REPETITION

2. BUSINESS CARD
• Use Repetition to keep the interest of the reader

4. MAGAZINE
• Magazine designers need to use
repetition because it needs to be
obvious between one issue and
the next that the magazine is
consistent.

5. MAGAZINE
Over 4 years,
(1961-1965)
this magazine
has remained
essentially
unchanged.
In what ways
do you see
that this
magazine has
created
repetition?

6. What things remain unchanged as the years weigh on?
1920 1961 1971

7. What items would need to be repeated from page to page to
keep it consistent throughout the magazine?

8. MOVIE POSTER
This movie poster already
has some good repetition
What is being repeated here
to help intellectually connect
the information on the
page?
• Bold typeface
• Light typeface
• Indents
• Spacing Alignments

9. GAMER NIGHT
• This flyer already uses
good repetition with the
fonts,
• But graphics can be used
to help show repetition as
well

10. GAMER NIGHT

11. • If an image is familiar to a
reader, all it takes is a
piece of it to help the
reader make the
connection.
GAMER NIGHT

13. INVITATION: USING GRAPHICS

14. WEBSITE: USING COLOR & SHAPE

15. WEBSITE: USING COLOR & SHAPE

17. REPETITION SUMMARY
• Purpose: to unify and add visual interest
• Tip: Be consistent with your designs and graphics, but
also try pushing those consistencies to grab that visual
interest
• BUT: Avoid repeating the graphics so much that they
become annoying or overwhelming.

18. REPETITION PROJECT
• Use the same requirements as you did for the previous
poster.
• Show Repetition by:
• Place at least 4 designs or shapes repeating in an orderly fashion
(for consistency).
• Add an additional design that is nearly identical but different in a
distinctive way (for unity with variety).
• Need some ideas for the “different” design?
• Enlarge it
• Shrink it
• Change the color
• Flip or turn the design
• Put the item on its own, away from the other, orderly designs.

19. EXAMPLES

20. EXAMPLES

21. EXAMPLES

22. RESOURCE
• The content in this PowerPoint was inspired by “The Non-Designer’s Design
Book” by Robin Williams.
• The assignment was inspired by the content on www.nhsdesigns.com