UX Patterns Guide
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Your complete route through the library

Learn the work, then study the patterns.

Start with the human task and the evidence behind it. Build the interface, practice choices across pattern families, then test those choices in a realistic setting. Each part connects to a method, an exercise, and source material.

20 core lessons 14 principle chapters 14 guided families 298 pattern studies 286 comparisons
01 / Understand the whole task

Core UX course

Work through one service case across research, problem framing, interaction design, testing, and a final decision. Each lesson produces an artifact for the next stage.

02 / Build the interface

UI and UX principles

Apply the same task to information structure, content, visual design, controls, media, accessibility, data, and outcome measurement. Each chapter defines the idea, works through a case, and gives you a review method.

  1. 01
    Organize information around the task

    Create names and routes that help people predict where to go.

  2. 02
    Design content around a person's question

    Plan, write, and maintain content that answers a real question at the point of use.

  3. 03
    Make text carry the work

    Use type, headings, and sentence structure to support scanning and close reading.

  4. 04
    Give the page a clear visual order

    Place content so the primary task and its supporting information form one readable path.

  5. 05
    Use color to reinforce meaning

    Build a color system that keeps actions and states clear across contexts.

  6. 06
    Make visual media explain its purpose

    Choose images, icons, and movement that clarify a task and remain understandable through other modes.

  7. 07
    Help people answer one clear question at a time

    Design forms around purpose, understandable labels, and recoverable answers.

  8. 08
    Preserve the task across screens and input modes

    Adapt layout and interaction while keeping the essential route available.

  9. 09
    Build consistent components around behavior

    Define reusable components with shared appearance, states, and access behavior.

  10. 10
    Help people read data as a decision

    Show values, comparisons, and uncertainty in a form that supports the reader's next action.

  11. 11
    Review completion across different abilities

    Check whether people can perceive, understand, operate, and complete the task.

  12. 12
    Give people clear control over consequential choices

    Explain data use, risk, and recovery so a person can make an informed choice.

  13. 13
    Keep people oriented when automation acts

    Show the system's scope, evidence, progress, and approval points during automated work.

  14. 14
    Measure whether the task became easier

    Combine task evidence and performance data to judge a design change.

03 / Build pattern judgment

Study every pattern family

Each family moves from core behavior to specialized applications and quality checks. A pattern page gives you the task, complete states, worked examples, a practice prompt, and the next lesson in that family.

  1. 01
    Navigation And Wayfinding

    Headers, breadcrumbs, tabs, side navigation, steps, local anchors, and return paths.

    21 studies
  2. 02
    Search, Browse, And Discovery

    Search, filters, facets, category browsing, query correction, and no-results recovery.

    20 studies
  3. 03
    Input And Data Entry

    Forms, field behavior, uploads, dates, addresses, payment entry, and account data.

    34 studies
  4. 04
    Selection And Choice

    Choice controls, object pickers, ranges, menu actions, bulk selection, and commands.

    20 studies
  5. 05
    Feedback, Status, And System State

    Loading, progress, alerts, banners, sync, confidence, and system visibility.

    30 studies
  6. 06
    Error Prevention And Recovery

    Validation, undo, retry, fallback, destructive action review, and recovery paths.

    23 studies
  7. 07
    Disclosure And Attention Management

    Progressive disclosure, overlays, warnings, focus, and interruption management.

    21 studies
  8. 08
    Data Display And Exploration

    Tables, dashboards, charts, maps, compare views, timelines, and drill-down behavior.

    23 studies
  9. 09
    Task And Workflow Patterns

    Multi-step work, approvals, scheduling, review queues, checkout, and task completion.

    23 studies
  10. 10
    Collaboration And Social Interaction

    Comments, mentions, presence, feeds, handoffs, shared attention, and team workflow.

    12 studies
  11. 11
    Personalization And Preference

    Settings, preference centers, saved views, defaults, recommendations, and user control.

    12 studies
  12. 12
    Trust, Safety, And Privacy

    Consent, privacy, security, sensitive data, reporting, permissions, and safety exits.

    21 studies
  13. 13
    AI And Automation UX

    AI capability boundaries, agent control, source grounding, uncertainty, approval, and safe fallback.

    23 studies
  14. 14
    Cross-Device And Physical Interaction

    Touch, haptics, sensors, camera, permissions, offline states, and device adaptation.

    15 studies
04 / Apply and test

Choose, try, and explain

Use a comparison when several patterns seem plausible. Try the states in the lab. Complete a practice case, then carry the decision into your own project with a work tool.

Compare

Choose among alternatives →

Use the decision rules to explain which interaction fits the task.

Try

Inspect behavior →

Switch between strong and weak states and check recovery.

Practice

Work through a case →

Produce an artifact and review it against explicit criteria.

Transfer

Use the method at work →

Prepare a critique, test plan, or decision memo for a real task.

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