This page is a stub. It's just something to get notes down, and is not final in any way.

Every pattern is arranged the same way.

Contradictory patterns aren't. They are choices. Refer to the first section about what patterns are, and are for.

Name

Short as possible.

Problem

Why you'd want to use it. Ideally, patterns are grouped with similar problems, and you can get to the right section, then compare the problem statements as a way to help identify which one you really have.

Solution

A short definition of what the pattern is. Somewhere near the top will also be a little, very simplified diagram of the pattern, and all key variations.

Variations

Our patterns aren't that restrictive. All of these have plenty of versions you can pick and choose from to meet your needs. Or, make up another one, or combine a few. If it works, consider coming back and adding it to the list.

Interaction Details

How the user interacts with the item being described.

Presentation Details

Presentation vs. interaction. Things on screen, which you cannot click on, or details about the manner in which displayable items are presented, which do not directly influence the interaction. A shadow on an interactive item might help visibility, so matters, but does not directly influence interaction, for example.

Antipatterns

Specifics of the implementation you should watch out for. Always should have examples of actual implementations that did this. Not speculative, but known-bad. These are not ALL the antipatterns, but some key ones we see. Rest assured you can screw up the pattern in more ways that we can list. If you cannot avoid an anti-pattern for technical reasons, the pattern should not be used, and a technically feasible replacement found.

Examples

The list of examples is not inclusive, and not even always the most popular examples. They are instead intended to show variations, and even anti-patterns in practice, so you know what to look for.