Pattern Design: What Do Customers Want?

Dear Community,
Could you please share what you, as customers, expect from a pattern in terms of structure, layout, abbreviations, photos, etc.?

Since I write patterns myself, I know that everyone develops further with every pattern and that there is always more to learn. It also sharpens your eye for your own weak points and the weak points in other people’s patterns. So when I buy a pattern, I know what I expect from a pattern and what could possibly be improved. Therefore, I’d like to offer the following tips:

• The quality of the images in the patterns is very important. Please do not use dark yarns or fabrics. Test beforehand whether your camera can reproduce the chosen colors clearly and distinctly.
  
  
• Please also look at the test images on the screen. Edit them, for example with a photo editing program, so that only the main subject is centered.
  
  
• Resize the images the way you would resize them for your pattern. Insert the resized image into a test pattern and save it as a PDF file. That reduces the image quality again. The way you see the image now in the PDF file is how the customer will see it later— it won’t get any better. If the image is not good enough, please work on the image quality first before continuing to work on the content of the pattern.
  
  
• Please do not use fuzzy or fluffy yarns for the pattern. If you are showing stitches or stitch sequences, please use smooth, light-colored yarns for that—detail photos are always a good choice, too.
  
  
• Also look at the image background . Does the chosen yarn or fabric color go well with the background color? The background should always be a solid color, wrinkle-free, and have no pattern.
  
  
• The image should show only what you are describing in the respective work step, centered in the frame.
  
  
• When your pattern is finished, please show all views of this item in the preview images.
  

Thank you very much for your attention.
Best regards, Ina

In addition to Ina’s detailed insights as a designer, I’d be very interested to hear what customers are looking for in a pattern. For me personally, of course, this applies to cross-stitch patterns.

For example:
- What information must absolutely be included in the product description for you?
- What is a deal-breaker for you? Under what circumstances would you absolutely not buy the pattern?
- Do you like having the choice between black-and-white and color embroidery patterns?

I’d really appreciate your answers!
Best regards, Karola

It’s very important to me to know the materials and supplies needed before purchasing the pattern. While there are some projects where it wouldn’t really matter—since I’d make them anyway—authors should still make the effort. Sometimes I come across sellers here who are very vague about this, and in those cases, I don’t buy their patterns.

Since I don’t have a color printer, it’s important to me that the details are still visible on a black-and-white printout.
In my last project, the author had marked the relevant corners of the piece in blue, but that wasn’t visible on my printout.
I find it especially frustrating when the pattern text is on top of the photos; that’s happened to me before too, and I couldn’t read anything at all.
Of course, you can check on the computer if in doubt, but it’s still annoying when you have to interrupt your work because of it.

Thank you very much, Veronika and Gundi, for your feedback. I find it very helpful.

Perhaps someone else has specific preferences or requests regarding the patterns themselves,
as well as how they’re presented?

Dear Karola, I wrote my suggestions and requests from the perspective of a designer, but also from the perspective of a customer. I buy patterns myself, and that’s what inspired my suggestions.

Best regards, Ina

Please also number the pages.

I’ve bought patterns before where the page numbers were missing.

Dear Ina, that was perfectly clear to me.
Perhaps I should have phrased it more clearly: in addition to your insights as a designer and customer, I’m personally also interested in the expectations customers have for patterns—especially those who don’t write their own patterns—because I think that offers a different perspective.
I welcome any tips that help me offer better patterns, and I hope to see even more comments in this thread.
Best regards, Karola