How do you manage design pattern overload?

1 Know your problem

Before you apply any design pattern, you need to identify the problem you are trying to solve and the context you are working in. Not every problem requires a design pattern, and not every design pattern fits every problem. Sometimes a simple and straightforward solution is better than a complex and abstract one. Ask yourself: what are the requirements, constraints, and trade-offs of your problem? How does the design pattern address them? How does it affect the readability, testability, and performance of your code?

2 Know your patterns

There are many types of design patterns, each with its own purpose, benefits, and drawbacks. Some of the most common ones are categorized into three groups: creational, structural, and behavioral. Creational patterns deal with object creation and initialization, such as factory, singleton, or builder. Structural patterns deal with object composition and relationships, such as adapter, decorator, or composite. Behavioral patterns deal with object communication and coordination, such as observer, strategy, or command. You should familiarize yourself with the basic concepts and examples of these patterns, and learn how to recognize them in existing code.

3 Know your alternatives

Design patterns are not the only way to solve problems in software development. Sometimes you can use other techniques, such as refactoring, inheritance, polymorphism, or functional programming, to achieve similar or better results. You should also be aware of the anti-patterns, which are common mistakes or bad practices that can lead to poor design and quality issues. For example, you should avoid the god object, which is an object that knows too much or does too much, or the spaghetti code, which is code that is hard to read and maintain due to lack of structure and organization.

4 Know your limits

Design patterns are not silver bullets that can solve any problem automatically. They are tools that can help you, but they also have limitations and trade-offs. You should not use design patterns blindly or excessively, as this can result in over-engineering, unnecessary complexity, and reduced flexibility. You should also not use design patterns as an excuse to avoid learning new technologies or paradigms, as this can limit your creativity and innovation. You should always use design patterns with care and judgment, and evaluate their impact and suitability for your problem and solution.

5 Know your team

Design patterns are not only about code, but also about communication and collaboration. They can help you share common vocabulary and understanding with your team members, as well as with other developers who work on the same or similar projects. However, they can also cause misunderstandings and conflicts if your team members have different levels of knowledge, experience, and preferences regarding design patterns. You should always discuss and agree on the design patterns you use with your team, and document them clearly and consistently. You should also be open to feedback and suggestions from your team, and be willing to adapt and improve your design patterns as needed.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?