Design composition - rhythm

The repetition of sounds and pauses creates the rhythm of the music. In design, it is created in a similar way: through the repetition of elements and the spaces between them. Rhythm brings harmony to the design and guides the user through your work. ?

There are three basic types of rhythm: regular (elements are repeated at regular intervals), flowing (created through the repetition of naturally placed organic shapes), and progressive (subtle changes with each subsequent repetition) ). Master all three to create movement and harmony in your compositions.

You may already be familiar with the concept of rhythm in music: it is the pattern created by the arrangement of notes and the space between them. In design, the concept is similar. Rhythm is elements arranged at regular or random intervals to create a sense of movement. ?

Successful design rhythm is much like the rhythm of music. It’s not just about the arrangement of the elements themselves, but also the negative space between them. Rhythm also relies on the repetition of certain elements to tie the entire piece together.

External rhythm is the rhythm that exists between different groups of elements. In the design, external rhythm—the repetition of groups of content and the negative space between them—creates flow and guides the user’s eye throughout the page. Rhythm, if done well, can also be used to create harmony in a composition.

Internal rhythms are created in element groups. It is the repetition of parts in an assembly and the spacing between them. Designers can repeat elements within components or more complex blocks of content, such as menus, photo galleries, or footers, to guide the user's natural eye and make content easy to scan and navigate.

The core difference between rhythm and repetition is that rhythm implies movement, progression, and sometimes surprising change. The waltz is all about rhythm and consists of steps, slides, and steps in 3/4 time. On the contrary, the march was a repetition of monotonous steps without any irregularity.

That said, rhythm should always include some form of repetition. It creates a pattern that makes users feel rooted on the page. A composition with completely random elements does not create a sense of rhythm or repetition.

Nested lists are a good example of external rhythm. It contains categories—in this case, colors or brands—that are equally spaced from each other. However, each category contains a different number of projects, which in turn have their own internal rhythm.

The card here contains pricing information, where every element, like the title, body copy, and CTA, is part of the internal cadence. Note that some elements, such as the pricing card in this example, communicate with surrounding elements to create an external rhythm.

When designing, rhythm can help establish mood and make a composition more dynamic and exciting. Here we use rhythm to break up the monotony and make things pop a little more. It also creates a focal point in the composition, directing the user to the largest images and text.

When designing a pricing page, we may want to differentiate each plan with more than just words and numbers! Instead of keeping the height the same, we can create a progressive rhythm by adding height to each subsequent plan. This external rhythm not only creates a unique layout but highlights how each pricing plan increases in importance.

How do you set up the internal cadence to design some necessary registration forms? You add space between input, title, and CTA to ensure users can scan them quickly without distraction or confusion.