A Pattern Language…

… the title of one of my favorite books, by Christopher Alexander, a graduate professor of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley.  I must admit I used many of his ‘patterns’ in the design of my house (now 17 years old), and just as it did back then ‘it makes total sense’ (not just to me, but to most everyone that visits).  Each designed element achieved the feeling or behavior he had predicted they would, based on his study of architectural spaces across history.  And I still to this day find myself looking at a building and saying, “Christopher never would have allowed that.”  What makes these architectural patterns so influential…?  Or for that matter, what makes patterns in general have what appears as a power to influence...?

I believe it is the logic that the pattern represents, an evolved ‘fit’ or sense of order.  All the effort to try different approaches, see what works and what doesn’t, change something and try again,… a pattern has all this behind it; it’s the end result of an assessment process.  Patterns are very much a part of my department’s work.  Every research project we do starts with extensive user observations.  We then cross present these observations to other members of the research team, sharing the story behind each observation.  Once we’ve reviewed all observations, we then look for ‘patterns’ – repeatable patterns of behavior, of individuals and teams at work.  It’s amazing the similarity across companies and situations,… there are behaviors, rituals, process activities that are repeated over and over.  And it’s because it makes logical sense, it’s the short hand response to particular situations.

This synthesis process results in design principles.  A design principle is stated as an objective or design intent, an objective that when achieved promises a higher performing workspace solution.  One could think of these as patterns as well,… patterns for solutions that are responsive to patterns of behavior.  The two are closely linked.  Armed with an understanding of these patterns for many different industries (healthcare, higher ed, professional services, retail banking, etc.),… we work with clients to identify their specific patterns of behavior, and from these suggest the design principles (patterns for solutions) that are appropriate to their situation.  And just like Christopher Alexander’s patterns, the logic makes perfect sense to them, and thus the reaction is always very positive.

Patterns take complexity out of a situation, or at least make the complex understandable.  There are patterns in nature, patterns in language, patterns in design and patterns in physical space.  We find these as useful markers on the path to understanding.  This brings me full-circle, back to the importance of diagnosing existing work patterns and then linking these to solutions which have been patterned in response to these.  They form a language of insight, meaning and response.  There are patterns all around us.  Do you notice…?