From Patterns of Use to Design Patterns: A Method for producing new design patterns from user activities Nikolaos Avouris, Nikolaos Tselios, George Kahrimanis and Georgios Fiotakis Human-Computer Interaction Group, University of Patras, Greece, avouris@upatras.gr, {nitse, kahrimanis, fiotakis}@ee.upatras.gr Abstract. In this paper we describe a novel method for producing interactive systems design patterns form ethnographic studies involving these systems. It is argued that this process can lead to traceable production of design patterns. A software environment, ColAT, that can support the proposed process, is also described. 1 Introduction Design Patterns (DP), an approach that was originally inspired by work in architec- ture and town planning, have been proposed in many design disciplines, among which in interactive systems design (e.g. [1],[2]). DPs are used to describe a design problem and a solution for this problem in a particular context, together with the rationale for that solution and the positive and negative consequences of using it [3]. “The pattern is, in short, at the same time a thing, which happens in the world, and the rule which tells us how to create that thing, and when we must create it” [4]. In inter- active systems the thing may take various forms according to users’ behavior and context of use. So DPs for interactive systems have to take into consideration the users’ behavior that might be related to them. Generation of new design patterns has always been a prime concern of practitioners in the field. In an activity-centered de- sign approach, design patterns could be derived after effective study of alterative design decisions and their impact on typical user activities. So DPs are directly asso- ciated to patterns of use (PU) by typical users. This relation between DPs and PUs is the subject of this paper. In particular, we describe the process of identifying PUs that are subsequently the foundation for defining new Design Patterns. A key aspect in this process is a given activity, which is mediated by tools. The feature of the tool that is the focus of a design pattern must play an important role in this activity. Users’ interaction with this feature should be monitored. Ethnographic studies involving typical users are essential for observing the effective mediating role of the tool in the context of the activity. In figure 1 we outline the process. Artifacts a1, a2, a3 etc are the tools that are used by the typical users in order to accomplish a certain task. These may just be alternative design decisions related to a given problem. Users are moni- tored as they interact with the tool and various patterns of use (PU) are identified. These are finally abstracted to a design pattern (DP) that describes the design and the N. Avouris, N. Tselios, G. Kahrimanis and G. Fiotakis, From Patterns of Use to Design Patterns: A Method for producing new design patterns from user activities, Conference Workshop on HCI design patterns: Mapping User Needs into Interaction Design Solutions, Interact 2005, Rome, September 2005.