Playing with Pattern is an original web app, developed for William Morris Gallery (wmgallery.org.uk ) – designed by Metric and built by Direction Forward.

It combines web and touchscreen technologies in an unique way to present a Discover, Explore and Play experience for students to learn about maths within pattern design, utilising Morris & Co patterns as practical learning examples.

The Explore section uses custom-drawn detection overlays on top of Morris & Co patterns to ask interactive questions. Students are invited to spot translations, symmetry, shapes, rotations, and frameworks. Tap to identify your answer, and you receive immediate visual feedback, with the relevant element highlighted in context of the relevant pattern.

The Play section uses a totally new and original pattern creation system, which enables the student to create their own repeating pattern, based on William Morris’s ‘Trellis’. The student can add, position, remove, rotate, and flip multiple elements, as well as change the canvas – to create their own individual pattern. With over three and half sextillion potential combinations (yes that is a number!). It is also possible to quickly preview how your pattern will look when repeated, as you are designing. Your pattern can then be exported and saved as an image, for further study and sharing.

There is a Teaching Resources section for educators to access related resources and wider relevant materials, which is managed using a CMS by William Morris Gallery.

Playing with Pattern is intended for tablet devices of all sizes, and also works with laptop and desktop computers.

Try for yourself at playingwithpattern.com