Ingeborg Rocker argues that recursion--"repetition with reorientation"--defines both human history in general, and, in particular, design since the 19th century. She outlines late-19th century and early-20th century debates about the role of ornament, discusses early experiments in computational design, and explores recursively-generated ornamentation in recent projects. She stresses the shift from mass production to mass customization, but concludes with questions about fetishization, fabrication and meaning.