Page 153 - Design Thinking C11

(a) Repetitions of towers and their elements in the shikhara; and (b) whole form of shikhara is repeated in a
part within another part (marked by red color).
Repetitions of tower above the mandapas (marked by green color) create angle for upward eye
movement to the summit of main shikhara.

Let us take other examples from nature:
• A tree branches out again and again—each branch looks like a smaller version of the tree.
• A flower like a sunflower has repeating spirals of seeds that get smaller toward the center.
• A shoreline has tiny curves within big curves, showing the same pattern at every scale.
Designers looked at these natural fractals and used the same logic in their artwork.

Parametrization – Making Small Changes for New Results
Parametrization means making small changes to a shape or pattern to create a new and unique version.
Think of it like using a basic stamp or stencil and adjusting it slightly each time to make a fresh design.
This method allows designers to create many variations of a single pattern, making the artwork look dynamic
and never boring. For example, in Ajrak prints (a traditional block-printing method), artists use repeating
patterns like stars, flowers, or hexagons. However, they change the size, colours, or arrangement slightly each
time—this is parametrization.

Another example is the Jain Kalpasutra. In these manuscripts, artists decorated each page with borders
and designs. Though the layout remained similar, the colour, motifs, and ornamentation changed with each
page, making every page unique but still part of a whole.

Even in the Taj Mahal, fractal patterns are used in ceilings and walls. These patterns repeat and grow more
detailed as they move outwards, combining geometry and beauty.
When a designer starts with a simple shape, they use recursive steps (repeating the same process) to build
more detailed patterns. This can happen:

• On the edges of the shape (like borders or corners),
• Inside the shape (like fillings),
• Or even in three dimensions (like temple rooftops that grow upward).

Even the transition from a square to a circle—a common theme in Indian temple plans—is a result of careful
detailing. Designers used step-by-step methods like rotating, bending, or adding extra lines to make these
shapes evolve.

Introduction to Indian Knowledge Systems
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