Sometimes, a solution is so beautiful, and you wish you had the right problem to apply it to. But unfortunately, issues come first. As impressive as your new screwdriver may be (imagine a handle made of gold, with your initials engraved, of course, if the problem at hand is to knock in a nail, it makes for only a less than perfect solution.

Now, after teaching you all I know about manual craft, let’s return to software development – and consider “design patterns” as your toolbox. Every design pattern you know (and understand) is an instrument in your toolbox. It’s certainly great to have many of them!

The problems start, however, as soon as you let the patterns dictate your coding. They should be there to support you, to propose a proven solution – for the right problem! Programming paradigms should be used where they fit and not be enforced. Your components should be designed with your application’s requirements in mind – not with a beautiful design pattern.

In cases where you’ve indeed found a helpful pattern for your current problem, there’s only one more thing: be sure to understand the pattern and its consequences on your coding.