Cost-Justifying Usability, 2nd Edition

to management until we learn more about the organization (or, as noted earlier,

whose child designed the icons).

8.6.3 User Interface Patterns as a Tool to Promote Reuse

The work by Alexander and his colleagues (Alexander et al., 1977) on architec-

tural patterns prompted the development of programming patterns (Gamma

et al., 1994) and UI patterns (Tidwell, 2003; Van Duyne et al., 2003). Alexander’s

patterns were structural features that could be applied during design to improve

the “habitability” of a town, street, or building. In the UI design area, patterns

are potential solutions to design problems that can increase the “habitability” of

virtual ...