Pattern Language (PL) has been researched and developed in HCI research since the mid-80s. Our research was initiated by the question why something like PL can create such enthusiasm and interest over the years, while at the same time not be more widespread and successful? In this paper, we examine the experiences and expectations that HCI researchers who have been involved in PL research have had and still have when it comes to PL. Based on the literature review and interview studies, we provide some overall reflections and several possible directions on the use of PL in HCI.

1. Yue Pan & Erik Stolterman
Indiana University Bloomington, IN, USA
{panyue, estolter}@indiana.edu
Pattern Language and HCI:
Experiences and Expectations

2. Pattern Language in Architecture Design

3. Pattern Language in Architecture Design
Pattern Language
• Problem
• Context
• Forces
• Solution

4. Pattern Language in Interaction Design

5. Pattern Language in Social Studies

6. Pattern Language in Ubiquitous Computing

7. Pattern Language in Ethnography Research

8. research question1:
why has Pattern Language as an object of study
created such enthusiasm and interest over the
years?

9. research question2:
why has Pattern Language as a tool not been more
widespread and successful?

10. Interviews

11. interview
We sent email to 24 PL experts.
14 experts replied.
Interviews were conducted by email or
Skype.
4 experts are working for industry.
10 experts are working for academia. PL experts

12. interview
Interview questions:
1. People’s initial engagement with PL;
2. Rewards and Challenges of developing PL;
3. Why PL not been more successful;
4. Future of PL in HCI field.

13. Findings

14. Challenges of Developing PL—Demand Extensive Efforts
R3: “First of all, IT IS AN IMMENSE AMOUNT
OF WORK!!! First you harvest ideas for
potential patterns, then you seek the evidence
(examples where it was used), and then you
start writing the first draft, then iterate and
publish. Do that 100+ times and it will cost you
more than a year of your life!”

15. Challenges of Developing PL—Applying PL in Real World
R3: “I think there is one area where the PL
research is still weak and that is the area of
evidence in patterns. Most patterns,
including mine, use 'common sense' to
argue that they are good solutions. It would
be good to do more research and see to
what extend they really work.”

16. R10: “In contrast, computer scientists and
programmers in particular are very
comfortable with formalizations. So its no
surprise that patterns has had success in
programming where you have things like
UML.”
“Designers on the other hand resist
formalizations, particularly descriptive ones
rather than generative or process-oriented
ones like design methods.”
Challenges of Developing PL—Formalization

17. Insight:
PL is NOT easy to use.

18. Pattern LanguageAdvantages of Using PL—Education
R8: “As part of teacher I do. I use
Jennifer Tidwell’s book in my course
‘Interacting Form’ to teach graphic
students.”

19. Advantages of Using PL—Representing Knowledge
R3: “Patterns could be a great way to
capture design solutions and link it to
characteristics of the task, user or any
other part of the context of use. And so I
started writing my first patterns, trying to
find out how I could use the pattern
'format' to capture design knowledge.”

20. Pattern LanguageAdvantages of Using PL—Design Thinking
R2: “(PL) Help people perceive the world.
PL opens up people’s perceptions and
awareness that people may not realize.”
“Creating PL is also interesting. Start from
nothing, observation, synthesis something
and bring it into very clear. ”

21. Insight:
Use PL to inform design thinking.

22. PL Expectations and Future—Creating PL rather than Patterns
R1: “One sort of weakness in design
patterns, especially if it is done by multiple
distributed people in a bottom-up fashion, is
a lack of a coherent pattern language.”

23. Insight:
Develop PL rather than patterns.

24. PL Expectations and Future—More Evaluation
R6: “More research examining the
practicalities of using PLs within actual
design processes, ethnographic and
empirical studies are needed.”

25. Insight:
Evaluate PL in a real design setting.

26. Discussion

27. Pattern Language
Discussion
We study and evaluate PL as
1. A tool and methodological approach to learn about
other methods and tools in general.
2. A catalyst to understand problems, solutions, values
within design and research process.

28. Design Methods Research @IU
Yue Pan & Erik Stolterman
Indiana University, USA
{panyue, estolter}@indiana.edu
NSF
Thanks!