Patternata: a pattern design app. Patternata: a patterndesign app

Patternata is a pattern design app for designers, on iPad and iPhone.

The client wanted an app where designers make seamless patterns on iPad and iPhone.

It had to feel like a real design tool, and run well on the devices people already own, not just the newest ones.

We did the product design, from flows to final screens, and built the app natively for iOS and iPadOS.

It is written in Swift with UIKit, which gives close control over drawing and memory.

• Product design (UI/UX)
• Native iOS and iPadOS build
• Swift and UIKit

Patterns can be built from artwork 21,000 pixels across. Every edge of the tile has to repeat seamlessly, so each side runs straight into the next.

An image that size will not fit in memory on older iPhones and iPads in one piece. So the approach is to cut it into tiles, and only draw the tiles that are on screen at the zoom level being viewed.

Tiles that scroll away are released, and the seams are handled at the edges so the repeat never shows a line. The aim is simple: the pattern should move as smoothly on an older device as on a new one.

• Split the artwork into tiles
• Draw only what is visible
• Respect memory limits on older devices
• Keep every edge seamless