Visual Design & Publishing
Build a sequence that repeats something for a reason
Imagine a fictional series of three prints showing an empty doorway, a doorway with a hanging cloth and a doorway partly covered by a plant. This original planning exercise uses the doorway as a recurring motif. It describes a proposed sequence, not completed artwork or a claim about a particular architectural tradition.
01
Choose the shared feature and what it contributes
Sketch a simple doorway outline and identify the features that should recur, such as its tall opening and narrow surrounding frame. Explain why it belongs in all three images: in this example, it provides a stable shape against which other details can change. Keep the shared feature specific enough to recognise. A vague instruction to make the prints feel related gives the illustrator little to work with. The brief should also leave room to revise the motif if the first sketches reveal a different, more useful connection.
02
Give each print a distinct visual question
For the first print, ask how much empty space can remain around the opening. For the second, consider how the hanging cloth changes the visible outline. For the third, consider how the plant partially interrupts it. These are proposed visual questions, not findings about how viewers will respond. Keep the intended print dimensions and arrangement recorded beside the sketches when they are known. A sequence designed for side-by-side viewing may need a different relationship than three images encountered separately on individual pages.
03
Review the sequence and write a short series note
Place the sketches together and describe what repeats, what changes and whether the intended order is understandable from the work. Record observations about the actual sketches separately from the original plan. A short series note could name the doorway motif and explain the three chosen variations without inventing symbolism for every mark. If one image no longer fits the relationship, revise its brief or explain the change. The completed planning sheet connects the shared feature, each image’s question and the intended presentation of the group.