When it comes to interior decorating, I’d like to say I have a decent eye... but invariably I’ll get the subtle, yet crushing sigh of despair when I see it completed and know my dreams of Pinterest stardom are dashed. I guess my skills lie elsewhere… I just have to find them.

This week’s tool review is for PatternPad, a neat little design tool for the digital you. Whether your website needs a sprucing up, a presentation needs a jazzy brand-coloured slide, or you fancy a new Twitter header, or you just want to post something fancy on Insta with the caption: #goals... Why not try PatternPad for yourself?

The first thing that struck me about PatternPad was that it is completely and totally free. Nice. Simply go to patterpad.com, click ‘Create your Pattern’ - and you’re in.

Along the right-hand side of the page you will find your design parameters: Colors (colours*), Size, and Style.

There are three colour options, two for the ‘front’ of your design, one for the back. Use the sliding filters to change your colours, and set your design columns and rows. Below that are the Style presets, of which there are plenty! Play around with these options until you’re happy, and see your designs come to life. I think the presets create a really pleasing aesthetic and are, for all intents and purposes, pretty.

For trying out the tool, I thought it best to use the company’s colour hex code. I was definitely impressed with the variety of results you can achieve by altering the style presets and number of columns and rows, it leaves you a lot of wriggle-room for testing out styles that suit you and your brand. When it comes to downloading your favoured designs, you can choose to save them to your device as either an .svg, .jpeg or .png. If you intend to use your design in the future on various platforms and software packages, I’d recommend downloading as an .svg file! 

Given the colour parameters being so vast, practically infinite in fact, you’ll struggle to make the same pattern twice. I’ve made quite a few designs already since discovering this tool and I’m yet to reach any kind of download limit, so if PatternPad is an unlimited service, that really boosts it for me. It’s a great tool, simple, free, attractive designs and a good way to mix up your virtual presence!

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼/5