Noise Between Stations

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1 min read

My notes-so-far on the general structure of the patterns in A Pattern Language:

  • They are hierarchical, starting from the most general and working down toward the most specific.
  • More specific patterns are dependent on the corresponding general “parent” patterns (my term). More general patterns rely on the implementation of the more specific “children” patterns.
  • The patterns are inherently practical, addressing problems with solutions.
  • As the word “patterns” suggests, these are repetitive fixes that recurring problems.
  • Patterns include a repetitive problem and its solution.

  • Patterns are expressed in the following format:

    1. picture
    2. introduction
    3. headline
    4. body, consisting of some background info, evidence for validity, and range of occurances.
    5. the solution, consisting of the physical and social relationships necessary. Itakes the form of an instruction. The solution must fix the “invariant property common” to every instance of the problem.
    6. This pattern’s relationship to other patterns


    Re-reading that, it sounds a bit dry (or maybe I’m just really tired), but it’s just enough structure to build a communicable language without so much restriction that hinders it’s flexibility for creating other languages.


    With regard to interaction design, much work has been done: The Interaction Design Patterns Page