The mechanisms by which domains of gene activity lead to the generation of tissues with intricate three dimensional shapes are poorly understood. We have been using a combination of genetic, morphological, computational and imaging approaches to address this problem in plants. Our findings suggest that spatiotemporal patterns of gene activity control shape by introducing conflicts at the subcellular, cellular and tissue levels. Resolution and interactions between these different levels of conflicts may underlie the enormous diversity of forms that have evolved in plants and animals.