9 Choose and Test your Design
Remember that a pattern is either right or wrong. It cannot be forgiven for blundering, as a picture may be which has otherwise great qualities in it. It is with a pattern as with a fortress, it is no stronger than its weakest point.
While you experiment with your tiles and patterns, it is important that you look at your work critically and choose which of your designs work better, and which ones don’t. Ideally, you will do this with several ideas to give you something to work with when choosing.
If you get stuck on making decisions about which concept design to take forward, put all the patterns next to each other and ask yourself:
Which of these do I like? Why?
Which of the patterns stands out the most? Why?
What does this pattern ‘say’?
Does this pattern fit into my chosen space in my home?
A useful technique is to print out your favourite designs and to test them by putting them in the space and asking yourself (and others):
Does this design work here?
One of the locations I decided to test for my algorithmic wallpaper was in the kitchen cupboard (Figure 33). I keep the plates in there and it creates a surprise for everyone in the family to see a random Truchet pattern when they open the cupboard to get ready for a meal.
Another option I tried was an OU logo-inspired wallpaper design. It is made up of about six A4 sheets stuck together and trimmed to fit into the shelf space of the work area. I think this wallpaper design works really well in this space and defines a lovely area for the printer and OU text books (Figure 34).
Below are several of my wallpaper designs paired with my reflections on each. The objective is to consider the characteristics of each design and its appropriateness for the designated space.
When compiling these designs, I ended up selecting my son’s bedroom as the setting for my wallpaper. He keeps his toys in drawers beneath his bed. The drawers’ interiors are currently plain white and could benefit from a splash of colourful wallpaper to add some fun.
Example pattern 1
This pattern uses a single tile with an angular black-and-white shape. The pattern looks crude and not very playful. Maybe I could make it more interesting with some other tile designs and softer colours.
Example pattern 2
This pattern uses four tiles with tilted square decorations. The irregular sequence and colour variation makes the pattern look lively, as if the squares are vibrating. This pattern is better than the previous one, but looks industrial and not suitable for the bedroom drawers.
Example pattern 3
The colours for this pattern were taken from the V&A fabric in Look for inspiration. It consists of three tiles with subtle shape differences, arranged in a random sequence that gives it an organic feel. While the pattern creates a cozy atmosphere, it feels a bit too dark and sombre for a child’s room.
Example pattern 4
I like this pattern a lot. It uses two tiles, one green and one blue, which complement the background that I found by randomising RGB values. I think this could work well on a large show wall but is not really suitable for the drawers.
Example pattern 5
This pattern is my favourite. The tiles are based on the Truchet tiles, and the colours and tile sequence seem to create an intriguing optical illusion of 3D shapes. The primary colours evoke a sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of children’s toys, making it a suitable choice for the drawers in my son’s room.
OpenLearn - Algorithmic Design 
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