Dearden and Finlay test the migration of Christopher Alexander’s pattern language from architecture into human–computer interaction. Their iconic question is whether a pattern is merely a reusable solution or part of a genuinely generative language capable of supporting situated design. The theoretical contribution lies in distinguishing patterns from guidelines, catalogues and claims while examining how values enter their selection, organisation and use. Methodologically, the review analyses definitions, histories and practical applications across software and interaction design, treating patterns as technical lexicon, organisational memory, lingua franca and design rationale. The conceptual operation is codified recurrence: tacit experience is transformed into portable structures that can be recombined across contexts. The wider bridge reaches design theory, knowledge management, participatory practice and infrastructure studies. The paper also identifies a central risk: patterns can support collective intelligence, but their apparent neutrality may conceal assumptions about users, contexts and desirable futures. Generativity therefore depends on preserving contestability within the grammar.
