There are a lot of good user interface pattern libraries that are available now – UI Patterns, Welie etc. which covering both general and specific topics.

Although patterns are often categorised e.g. Search, Navigation one thing I haven’t ever seen, although maybe it exists, is a set of macro patterns.

I think there is a lot of value in having some coarse grained patterns that you apply to a specific scenario that as you consult with the client you remove/include elements of.

If we take the example of an Inbox. Inboxes are useful in any situation where you have a pool of resource to allocate work to. Depending on the way your pool of resource operates and is managed determines how you might apply the pattern.

The basics will be there:

• sortable columns
• sensible default sort
• filtering
• icon columns for space saving and clear communication
• highlights e.g. new or unread
  etc.
• actions
• selection approach

Then there will be some variable elements

• allocation statistics
• filtering
• rules
• pagination

and many more, all of which depend on your need.

We will be releasing a set of macro patterns, adding to them as we complete client projects. If you are interested in hearing more or speaking to us about them, please contact me