Carousels, accordions, modals and hidden costs, a good or a bad design always lies in the way you are solving complex situations with simple and efficient solutions. Design patterns feel almost as a resources database where you can go and find solutions for problems that have previously been looked into, considered and designed.

Design patterns?

It is was most surely intriguing to hear that the origin of design patterns lies in architectural works, theory firstly developed by the British architect, Christopher Wolfgang Alexander,and afterwards adapted by the computer science and outlined in a patterns language.

A general, reusable solution to a commonly occurring problem within a given context.

Elements of a design pattern

Problem: The usability problem faced by the user when using the system.Context of use: The situation (in terms of the tasks, users, and context of use) giving rise to the usability problem.Principle: A pattern is usually based on one or more design principles, such as error management or the consistency of user guidance.Solution: A proven solution to the problem. A solution describes only the core of the problem, and the designer has the freedom to implement it in many ways.Why: How and why the pattern actually works, including an analysis of how it may affect certain attributes of usability. Examples: Each example shows how the pattern has been successfully applied in a real-life system. This is often accompanied by a screenshot and short description.Implementation: Some patterns provide implementation details.

Design patterns are not something you “design” – patterns are observed.

It was a concept I did not know previously, I could easily recognise some of the patterns as being heavily used in online platforms. The ever disturbing display of not having enough time to read a text displayed, just because the slide will automatically skip to the next one or intricate methods of placing hyperlinks (unsubscribe, cancel your subscription) or information (subscription cost or delivery time) so that the user will not easily perceive them. These design methods feel unethical and when in the role of a user, it does feel as my time in that online space will end up inefficient and not in my favour. However, ethical design is questionable when it comes down to the many parts involved.