The invention relates to a method for creating planar variations in size or distance in nanostructure patterns on surfaces. More particularly, in a preferred embodiment, the disclosed method comprises the following steps: a) a substrate is brought in contact with a liquid phase containing micelles of an organic two-block or multiblock copolymer which are loaded with an inorganic metal compound, by immersing the substrate into said liquid phase, a process during which chemically different polymer domains comprising inorganic metal compounds that are trapped in micelles are deposited on the substrate; b) the substrate is withdrawn from the liquid phase at a predetermined withdrawing speed that is continuously or gradually varied such that a gradient of the lateral separation length of the polymer domains is created on the substrate surface; and c) the inorganic metal compounds in the deposited polymer domains are transformed into inorganic nanoparticles by means of an oxidation or reduction treatment, and all or part of the organic polymer is optionally removed using a plasma treatment. The positions and the lateral separation length of the obtained nanoparticles are determined by the positions and the lateral separation length of the deposited polymer domains.