Interface Design Patterns
Summary
Interface design patterns are solutions to
frequently-occurring problems and situation in the design of interfaces. The
end users and the implementation teams conceptualise the interfaces in terms of
interface design patterns. The methodology of designing interfaces using this
approach is not mature and there is a scarcity of examples and validity
studies. However this is a promising approach that is supported by a number of
sites which offer design pattern information and by a recently-published book
(Borcher, 2001.)
Benefits
Pattern-based design is a relatively recent
approach and so evaluative studies of its benefits have not been widely
circulated but its strength lies in its claimed ability to bridge the gap
between a statement or sketch of high level user requirements and the
implementation of such requirements in software. Because HCI (human-computer
interaction) design patterns are put in the public domain the expertise of
successful practitioners, and the open forum discussion of them, is made
available to all.
Method
The method of using design patterns for
developing an interactive interface is not well established and there is not at
present a body of praxis which can act as a guide. Writers on design patterns emphasise
that this method encourages iterative design, although the methodology entailed
is not well described. The following steps are recommended to any design team
which is considering employing this method. The reader should be warned that
there is no empirical justification for the validity of the proposal given on
this page.
Follow the links given below and familiarise the stakeholder group with:
- the rationale behind the method
- examples of design patterns embodied in
products
- identified design patterns.
Design patterns may be applied in two ways:
1. during requirements elicitation itself
- make end user participants aware of
design pattern examples
- during low-level requirements
activities, encourage end users to express interaction concepts in terms of
design patterns
- review final results of requirements
activities with end user groups in terms of the design pattern examples shown
at the start
2. after requirements elicitation in order
to tidy up the paper prototypes etc. before implementation
- get end user requirements in terms of
scenarios, paper prototypes, high-level statements of principles etc. but do
not insist on adherence to patterns
- assemble implementation group
personnel and familiarise them with identified design patterns, develop an
initial style guide on how the patterns should be implemented in interfaces
- review the requirements material with
the implementation group and apply relevant design patterns
- consider exceptional material (which
is not tractable to design patterns) and decide on how implement it
More Information
There are two main web sites which offer
design pattern information:
Alternative Methods
Alternative methods involve the intensive
use of style guides.
Case studies
Some good case studies are given in: J
Borchers, A Pattern Approach to Interaction Design, Wiley, 2001.
Background Reading
Addison-Wesley publishers (Reading, Mass.)
offer a series on software pattern design, see for instance JO Coplien and D
Smith (Eds) Pattern Languages of Program Design (1995).
The following web sites offer useful online
material related directly to HCI. See
also the book by J Borchers (above) for references to additional material.
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