Patterns for Parametric Design
Robert Woodbury, Cheryl Qian, Roham Sheikholeslami, Maryam Maleki, Victor Chen
Experts use their experience of solving problems in the past to build on and create new solutions in new situations. Such experience is part of what makes them experts. Some of these reusable solutions can be expressed in what are known as design patterns. Patterns express design work at a tactical level, above simple editing and below overall conception. A pattern comprises several components, including a name, a problem description, an abstract solution and a discussion of consequences.
Through ethnographic studies, we show how patterns can be used to improve learning and work with parametric modeling and discern patterns invented by designers. We argue that the need for patterns indicates the absence of appropriate support for complexity in a parametric modeling system and seek new features and interface designs that enable working at high levels of complexity.
The website www.designpatterns.ca provides the parametric modeling community with well-crafted examples of reusable code. By explaining the motivation, context and details of the code, it enables people to more effectively learn parametric modeling systems and to build larger and more complex models with confidence. Further, the patterns themselves suggest new directions for the design of such systems as GenerativeComponents.
