Patterns! They’re everywhere and knowing how to use them effectively in a UX context can mean the difference between successful customer/user engagements and project FAIL! Using Christopher Alexander’s “Fifteen Properties of Wholeness” as a philosophy and model for good design and pattern usage, I will explain how these properties strengthen our understanding of patterns and helps to facilitate good UX design and good design practices. Using examples found in nature, architecture, music, art, language, writing, and UX, we will put Alexander’s properties to the test and see how they appear across many diverse landscapes and how they work to fully and naturally engage the end user, regardless of device or interface and even the lack thereof.
Alexander’s “Properties” remind us that humans seek continuity and understanding through patterns, regardless of context. Recognizing this provides valuable insight for the UX practitioner and shows that even in the midst of changing trends and technology some of the most important and fundamental aspects of our work stay the same.
