123 Self-Similarity

A property in which a thing is composed of similar patterns at multiple levels of scale.

• Natural forms exhibit similarity at multiple scales. Accordingly, self-similarity is often considered a universal aesthetic.

• People find self-similar forms beautiful, especially when the mathematical density of the pattern resembles savanna-like environments and trees.

• Self-similar modularity is an effective means of scaling systems and managing complexity.

• Explore self-similarity in all aspects of design: storytelling, music composition, visual displays, and engineering. Use it to enhance aesthetics, manage complexity, and scale systems.

See Also Archetypes • Hierarchy • Modularity Savanna Preference • Similarity • Symmetry

Get The Pocket Universal Principles of Design now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.