A design pattern is a formal way of documenting a solution to a design problem in a particular field of expertise. The idea was introduced by the architect Christopher Alexander and has been adapted for various other disciplines. Christopher Alexander (born October 4, 1936 in Vienna, Austria) is an architect noted for his theories about design and for more than 200
An organized collection of design patterns that relate to a particular field is called a pattern language. A pattern language is a structured method of describing good design practices within a field of expertise
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Defining "good" solutions
A pattern must explain why a particular situation causes problems, and why the proposed solution is considered a good one.
Alexander describes common design problems as arising from "conflicting forces" -- such as the conflict between wanting a room to be sunny and wanting it not to overheat on summer afternoons. A pattern would not tell the designer how many windows to put in the room; instead, it would propose a set of values to guide the designer toward a decision that is best for their particular application. Alexander, for example, suggests that enough windows should be included to direct light all around the room. He considers this a good solution because he believes it increases the enjoyment of the room by its occupants. Other authors might come to different conclusions, if they place higher value on heating costs, or material costs. These values, used by the pattern's author to determine which solution is "best", must also be documented within the pattern.
Design problems in a context
A pattern must also explain when it is applicable. Since two houses may be very different from each other, a design pattern for houses must be broad enough to apply to both of them, but not so vague that it doesn't help the designer make decisions.
The range of situations in which a pattern can be used is called its context. Some examples might be "all houses", "all two-story houses", or "all places where people spend time. " The context must be documented within the pattern.
For instance, in Alexander's work, bus stops and waiting rooms in a surgery are both part of the context for the pattern "A PLACE TO WAIT. "
Domain-specific articles
- Pattern (architecture), a way of capturing and communicating design ideas in architecture. Pattern in architecture is the idea of capturing architectural design ideas as archetypal and reusable descriptions
- Design pattern (computer science), a standard solution to common problems in software design. In Software engineering, a design pattern is a general reusable solution to a commonly occurring problem in Software design.
- Architectural pattern (software engineering), a standard solution to architectural problems in software engineering. Architectural patterns are software patterns that offer well-established solutions to architectural problems in Software engineering.
- Interaction design pattern, used in interaction design / HCI. In Interaction design / HCI, an interaction design (ID pattern is a general repeatable solution to a commonly-occurring usability or accessibility problem in
- Pedagogical patterns, documenting good practices in teaching. In the last years the scope of Pattern languages has expanded to include domains as diverse as group work Software design, Human computer interaction, Education
Book titles
- A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander, with patterns for the design of towns and buildings (architecture). A Pattern Language Towns Buildings Construction is a 1977 book on Architecture.
- Design Patterns ("Gang-of-four book") by Erich Gamma et al, with patterns for object-oriented programming (software engineering). Design Patterns Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software (ISBN 0-201-63361-2 is a Software engineering book describing recurring
- Designing Interfaces by Jenifer Tidwell, with patterns for interaction design
- Head First Design Patterns by Eric Freeman and Elisabeth Freeman, a book that explains design patterns in an interesting and simple way
See also
- Style guide, repeatable graphic design elements and styles. A style guide or style manual is a set of standards for design and writing of documents either for general use or for a specific publication or organization
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