Design Patterns

Design Patterns: The Building Blocks of Code Architecture

Imagine building a house without a blueprint. You might get lucky, but chances are the rooms won’t flow well, the plumbing might leak, and the whole thing could collapse when you add a second floor. Design patterns are like the blueprints and architectural guidelines for software development—they provide proven solutions to common problems, so your code is solid, maintainable, and scalable.

When I first started coding, I thought writing software was just about making things work. But as projects grew, I realized it was more like constructing a building: without good design, everything gets messy and hard to fix. That’s where design patterns come in—patterns are reusable templates for solving problems that happen over and over again in software.

What Are Design Patterns?

Design patterns are typical solutions to common problems in software design. They’re not finished pieces of code you can copy and paste, but templates or guides that help you structure your code in a way that’s easy to understand, maintain, and reuse.

How I Have Used Design Patterns in My Code

One of the most helpful design patterns I use often is the Singleton. It’s like the main control room of a building where only one security manager is allowed to operate. In my code, I’ve used Singleton to make sure there’s only one instance managing the connection to a database, so different parts of the program don’t conflict by opening multiple connections.

class Singleton:
    _instance = None

    def __new__(cls):
        if not cls._instance:
            cls._instance = super().__new__(cls)
        return cls._instance  

Another favorite is the Observer pattern—think of it like a fire alarm system in a building. When the alarm detects smoke, it notifies all the rooms so people can evacuate. In my projects, I’ve used Observer to update the user interface in real-time when the underlying data changes, without having to constantly check or refresh manually.

Why Design Patterns Matter

Design patterns are like a toolkit of blueprints that experienced programmers have developed to make building software less chaotic and more efficient. Using them helps avoid “reinventing the wheel” and improves communication, since other developers often recognize these common patterns.

By learning and using design patterns, I’ve improved my coding skills and the quality of my projects. They give me a foundation that makes complex software easier to build, test, and maintain.

This essay was written by me, Tamela Brinson, as part of my university coursework in 2025.