Rhythm as a design principle is repetition. People respond to rhythm positively. Understanding how things work, our brain feels safe and relaxed. Predictability helps draw the website visitor's eye to an image or scroll to the bottom of the page.
Repetitive elements make website design consistent and coherent. When visitors recognize a pattern and know where to find certain content, they're more receptive to it.
Discover types of rhythm with examples:
Regular Rhythm A pattern of repeating elements of the same size that are equally distant from each other. For example, navigation elements or a list of benefits.
If you are using repetitive elements too often, your visitors might get bored. It's important to find the right balance and not overdo it.
Progressive Rhythm A sequence of elements that changes—in size or color—every time they are repeated. This type of rhythm can help diversify the presentation, show a hierarchy, and highlight key details.
Flowing Rhythm A pattern of elements that creates a visual illusion of movement. Every element is different, just like in nature: a raccoon or a cat doesn't have identical stripes.
Any design will have its own rhythm because the human eye involuntarily finds repetitive patterns. As a designer, it's important to control the rhythm and use it to achieve the goals.