Model: Patterns vs Principles vs Heuristics

July 3rd, 2022

Patterns are what you discover

Principles are what you're supposed to do

Heuristic are strategies to progress in solving a problem, without guarantees

 


 

Patterns are descriptive

"sometimes mis-used as prescriptive, overusing, eg. when new in the field"

goal: communicate about solutions

not: use this everywhere, asap (prescriptive)

 


 

Principles & Best Practices are prescriptive

applied almost blindly

best practice guarantee "if you always apply the best practice, you always get the best result"

 


 

Heuristics are ...?

cheap: easy to apply

 

fast & frugal: easy to apply & helps you solve it very quickly

  • example Heuristic: when you are in the jungle and you hear rustling bushes, you run

 

no guarantee that there is a problem

 

example Heuristic: something is a heuristic if it starts with: favour / avoid / try / ...

language:

  • "favour"

  • avoid

  • try

  • look at it from that angle

 

(src: Video: Design Heuristics - Mathias Verraes - KanDDDinsky 2018)