Dave - Sorry for the delay in replying but I was away last week (in a cottage with no WiFi!).
Christopher Alexander was an architect that wrote the book that gives us the term 'design pattern'. However, his interest was towns and buildings, so I don't recommend that you rush out and buy it. Not only is it big and expensive, but ironically, nothing has ever been built based on his principals (although I am happy to stand corrected on this if someone knows better). In software design, there are high-level architectural models such as client-server, distributed, software as a service and similar. Lower-down people tend to use patterns such as model-view-controller and various others you will find in books with the words 'Design Patterns' in their title. In my view, though, patterns are often over-rated. To really understand a pattern well, you have to have solved the problem at least once yourself, so that you understand the issues. Trying to use a pattern without this understanding is like trying to adapt a recipe without knowing how to cook. (And believe me, in most real-life scenarios, patterns have to be adapted to the problem at hand.) Regards, William Hudson Syntagm Ltd Design for Usability UK 01235-522859 World +44-1235-522859 US Toll Free 1-866-SYNTAGM mailto:[email protected] http://www.syntagm.co.uk skype:williamhudsonskype Syntagm is a limited company registered in England and Wales (1985). Registered number: 1895345. Registered office: 10 Oxford Road, Abingdon OX14 2DS. Confused about dates in interaction design? See our new study (free): http://www.syntagm.co.uk/design/datesstudy.htm 12 UK mobile phone e-commerce sites compared! Buy the report: http://www.syntagm.co.uk/design/uxbench.shtml Courses in card sorting and Ajax interaction design. London, Las Vegas and Berlin: http://www.syntagm.co.uk/design/csadvances.shtml http://www.syntagm.co.uk/design/ajaxdesign.shtml > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of > Dave Wood > Sent: 15 July 2009 03:44 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Software Design Models and/or Design Patterns > ... ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
