Visual communications expert Liv Taylor mesmerised and inspired students at a leading art and design college as part of a lecture on patterns during a recent visit.

Cleveland College of Art and Design (CCAD) hosted a guest lecture from the head of research at PATTERNITY, an international specialist organisation dedicated to inspiring positive living through pattern research, design and experience.

During her talk at the university-level campus in Hartlepool, Liv offered her inspirational insight and a dazzling display of images around the theme of patterns and their influence everyday life.

With an extensive online image archive used in over 120 countries, she explored her passion for patterns and how students could benefit from the creativity of patterns in their studies, bringing inspiration and a new way of looking at their work.

Connecting the worlds of fashion, art and design, nature, environment and science through a visual display, Liv revealed how patterns can be applied in a design situation through collaboration with fashion designers and other specialists.

She also demonstrated how patterns can be used commercially and in narrative design to tell a story, with examples of work from diverse clients such as Clarks Shoes, Pretty Polly, Airbnb and the Imperial War Museum on projects using PATTERNITY prints.

Liv said: “It was fantastic to share what we do at PATTERNITY with such an engaged audience. The students at CCAD were really able to relate to our philosophy, and it’s great to hear that what I shared will feed into some of the brilliant work being created, giving them a new perspective to think about. The campus and surrounding area has a real wealth of pattern inspiration – from the beautiful Victorian buildings to the rugged natural coastline, so I have no doubt students will be able to engage with, incorporate and tell stories about the local area into their work, which is something we think is really important at PATTERNITY.”

To encourage the students to share their talents and spare each other’s creativity, Liv explained the importance of collaboration, sharing ideas and making connections to engage with people and create interest in their work, and following the lecture, took part in a question and answer session with the students and staff.

Abigail McLean, 27 from Norton, Stockton is on her first year of the BA (Hons) Contemporary Textile Products degree. She said: “Liv brought the most amazing visual images for us to look at and I was fascinated by the patterns in biology and in nature and how they relate to the world around us. The lecture really spoke to me and I loved it. This will have a massive impact on my work and not be afraid to bring in a variety of images and not just stick to one and finding the links between patterns.”

Fellow first year student, Alan Teather, 55 from Hartlepool, also studying Contemporary Textile Products, said: “Liv was fascinating to listen to and the way she explained patterns was inspirational. She brought the simplest patterns to life and it is hard now not to look around and see patterns in everything. As first years we are now looking at composition and this has really helped to bring it to life. There is so much I will take away from this for the rest of my course.”

Pat Chapman, Head of Employability and External Relations, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Liv and Patternity to CCAD.  Patternity has an international reputation as an influencer in design and working with them enables our students to gain real insight into how creative businesses develop concepts and designs across fashion, interiors and other parts of the sector.”

Liv was also a guest speaker at the Design NOW Symposium, part of the Northern Design Festival 2016 in Newcastle. Supported by CCAD, Liv joined some of the UK’s leading creative talent to discuss their work, inspirations and creative practices.