Pattern Language 3.0 and Fundamental Behavioral Properties
Summary
Keynote paper from the 2015 PURPLSOC conference. Iba sorts pattern languages into three generations by what they design: buildings (1.0), software (2.0), and human actions (3.0). He describes his lab’s methods for mining, writing, and illustrating patterns, workshops that use patterns as a medium for dialogue, and 24 “fundamental behavioral properties” that extend Alexander’s fifteen properties to human activity.
Why it’s useful here
Community governance is a pattern language of human actions, Iba’s third generation. His account of patterns as shared vocabulary for people of any experience level supports writing patterns that members, not just admins, can use.
Key ideas
- Pattern Language 1.0 (Alexander): a common language between designers and the people who live in a place
- Pattern Language 2.0 (software): passes expertise from experienced to less experienced professionals
- Pattern Language 3.0 (human actions): a medium for dialogue between people with any amount of experience; designing and practicing are hard to separate
- “Meta-patterns”: patterns for making pattern languages (mining, writing, illustrating, shepherding, writers’ workshops)
- Pattern format: Name, Introduction, Illustration, Context, Problem, Forces, Solution, Actions, Consequences
- Mining methods: collaborative introspection, mining interviews, mining workshops
- Uses: dialogue workshops, diagnosis and repair, idea generation; pattern cards
Related
- iba-2014-journey-to-pattern-writing.md
- iba-2021-practical-guide-pattern-writing.md
- alexander-1977-pattern-language.md