The rise of the TikTok pattern

A look at the growing number of apps embracing the reemergence of short-form video and the TikTok pattern.

If you can’t beat them, copy them

You’ve likely heard the oft Picasso attributed quote, “bad artists copy, good artists steal” or “good artists copy, great artists steal.” However it was said, it’s not far off from the truth. For years designers have had carte blanche to completely steal UI patterns and features across different apps.

Copying design patterns can take all sorts of shapes and forms. Everything from pixel-for-pixel copying to “parallel thought” to “similar-but-different” wherein one designer’s work is heavily inspired by another designer or team’s work.

Is it bad to copy UI patterns?

Copying a pattern is more often than not beneficial for your product design. Think of ubiquitous patterns like app or website navigation, video play, controls, or form inputs just to name a few. Replicating patterns is often the most powerful way to leverage learned customer behavior. It also drives creativity and iteration as the pattern extends itself to new formats and features.

The process of copying a UI pattern is relatively easy too. Most UI patterns can’t be patented unless it’s proven that it’s not so obvious that anyone should be able to think of it. I know this because I have a UI patent and it wasn’t easy to obtain.

The rise of the Stories pattern

TikTok has had plenty of portrait mode video predecessors. Vine, Periscope, and Snapchat to name a few. Snapchat, while not the first short-form video app, is often credited for popularizing the now much more popular TikTok format.

Instagram and Facebook were panned for outright copying Snapchat, but now Snapchat itself has replicated TikTok’s format exactly, along with Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Netflix, Pinterest, Etsy, and Wish among several other major apps.