Pattern Languages

Towards a Fourth Generation Pattern Language: Patterns as Epistemic Threads

Pattern Languages subsequently expanded into many other domains of activity: pattern theorist Helmut Leitner estimates around 30,000 pattern languages and half a million patterns to exist in domains as varied as movie costume design, organizational design, fire fighting, scrum, and music composition (Leitner 2014).¹² Of particular importance to this paper are their applications in fields of social change and sustainable innovation.¹³ These include bioregional development,¹⁴ community action on climate change,¹⁵ the Transition movement of community-based sustainability initiatives,¹⁶ permaculture’s approach to designing sustainable human habitats,¹⁷ as well as other human interaction and action domains such as learning, collaboration, co-creation, innovation, and conflict resolution.¹⁸ Some applications stress their potential as tools to advance democracy, inclusion, and social justice, notably the Public Sphere Project’s work on pattern languages for use of ICTs as emancipatory tools.¹⁹

Helmut Leitner

Dmitry, it’s nice seeing people refer to this work. I estimated 100 large domains, like architecture or music or software, each containing an average of 5000 patterns divided in 300 pattern languages (lower estimate) as subdomains (like school building, music improvisation, database usage).
All patterns are meant to be reusable pattern, but reuse will only be possible, when we start to describe these patterns and collect them systematically. This has only just started; and the methodological qualitylevel is still rather low.