We tend to think that the idea of design systems and reusing components is native to digital spaces relying on code components. This is not true and there is a lot that digital designers can learn from architects (see one of my blog posts from over 10 years ago).

In 1978 architect Christopher Alexander published his seminal book “A Pattern language” presenting 253 patterns – recurring design problems and solutions – that can be applied in an interconnected way to guide the design of towns, buildings, and spaces. This work is not only directed to architects or urban planners, but has since influenced computer scientists, programmers, and digital designers to harness their collective wisdom by collaboratively working on solutions, solving real-world problems, and leveraging the value of a common design language.