A design-pattern is a human-made reusable solution template that captures proven approaches to recurring design problems. Its parameters include: (1) recurrence — the problem appears repeatedly across projects or domains; (2) structured solution — a documented approach with context, forces, and resolution steps; (3) communal validation — tested and refined by practitioners; (4) abstraction — generalizable beyond any single implementation. It persists through codification in literature, citation in practice, and transmission through design education and professional communities. [formal: patternum-designum | substrate: behavior | horizon: a life | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
design-pattern
A design-pattern is a human-made reusable solution template that captures proven approaches to recurring design problems. Its parameters include: (1) recurrence — the problem appears repeatedly across projects or domains; (2) structured so…
Definition
Why it is in scope
Human-made reusable solutions to commonly recurring problems in design disciplines. Design patterns are human-made: they are codified best-practices, documented and taught within communities of practitioners (architecture, software, product design), persisting through publication, citation, and pedagogical transmission.
Names and aliases
- design-patternen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmrnbxxl8023od1nljgeztcm9INSTANCE_OF →
design-pattern INSTANCE_OF pattern: a design pattern is a specific, documented kind of reusable pattern — a conventional solution to a recurring problem in a specific domain (originally software design, now extended to other fields). A competent speaker would call a design pattern 'a pattern' qualified by domain. Direction: design-pattern (specific) → pattern (general). Which-came-first: pattern is older and more general; design pattern is a domain-specific refinement. Passes Law 9.
- cmruu0wrn0015q4ebnd50z7e4SERVES →
Design patterns ARE built for the sake of abstraction-layer — they encapsulate recurring solutions behind clean interfaces so callers don't need to manage the underlying complexity. Servant→master per Law 8d.
Relations to this entry
- cmryzo6zc02jjekkxr0n2usac← INSTANCE_OF
A dark pattern is a specific kind of design pattern — a UI/UX design choice that deliberately misleads users. A competent speaker would call it a type of design pattern.
- cmshguh9l02tlywh5kwfx7nv6← INSTANCE_OF
Skeuomorphism is a specific kind of design pattern where decorative elements reference the functional elements of an earlier version of the object. Design-pattern is the general concept of a reusable solution to a common design problem.
- cmshk22kz02yoywh5zjynmyqk← INSTANCE_OF
A wireframe is a specific type of design pattern — a skeletal visual guide for user interface layout. It is a kind of design pattern used in interface design. Direction: wireframe (specific) → design-pattern (general), per the kind-of test (Law 9).
- cmsiqbzv200sonobpvf5lvahg← INSTANCE_OF
circuit-breaker is a specific kind of design pattern — specifically a fault-tolerance pattern. The direction is specific→general (Law 9): circuit-breaker files against design-pattern as its nearest kind. A competent speaker would call a circuit-breaker 'a design pattern'. The INSTANCE_OF relation is correct: it prevents cascading failures by design, fitting the catalog of known design patterns.
- cmsir4uxg00v7nobp5bu8c1ya← INSTANCE_OF
graceful-degradation is a specific kind of design pattern — a software architecture pattern where the system degrades non-essential features under load to maintain core functionality. Direction: specific→general (Law 9). Files against nearest kind.
- cmsivgtli019fnobp29s7kt8c← INSTANCE_OF
defensive-design is a specific kind of design-pattern: it designs systems to anticipate failure modes and handle errors gracefully rather than catastrophically. Per Law 9, specific→general.
- cmsiwk0g101dbnobplqpbm43m← INSTANCE_OF
A fail-soft design is a specific kind of design pattern: a systematic approach to ensuring systems continue operating (possibly degraded) when components fail. A competent speaker would call a fail-soft approach a design pattern. Files against nearest kind per Law 11e.
Record identity
- Created
- Jul 21, 2026, 4:32 PM UTC
- Content hash
- d4839ebac59ac2db6c5c9645877bdcf35516c2243df2e1819680dbd6fccfe501