Official Pattern Documentation Template
When a pattern has been tested and validated, archive it using this formal template.
Before using this template, your pattern should have:
Been posted in rough form in The Agora → Pattern Workshops
Received community feedback and survived at least one round of critique
Been tested by at least one person other than the original author
The Template
---
pattern-name: [2-5 words, memorable and descriptive]
pattern-id: PTN-[XXX] # Assigned by maintainers
version: 1.0
status: draft | community-review | validated
authors: [names/handles]
date-submitted: [YYYY-MM-DD]
---
## [Pattern Name]
### Summary
[One sentence: what this pattern does and when to use it]
### Context
Where and when does this pattern apply?
### Problem
What tension or challenge does this address?
### Solution
What do you do? [Clear, actionable. Numbered steps if sequence matters.]
### Rationale
Why does this work? [The underlying mechanism.]
### Examples
#### Example 1: [Brief label]
[Context, action, result — concrete enough to be usable]
#### Example 2: [Brief label]
[A second example from a different domain]
### Known Failure Modes
When does this pattern not work, or work badly?
[Required section. At minimum one failure mode.]
### Related Patterns
[Pairs well with / Can be confused with]
### Revision History
[Version notes]
Notes
On Known Failure Modes: This section is not optional. A pattern without documented failure modes hasn’t been tested seriously.
On examples: Real examples are better than hypotheticals. Anonymize if necessary, but don’t fabricate specificity.
Submission Process
Draft in The Laboratory → Pattern Workshops
Request community review in the thread
Incorporate feedback, update version
Tag a maintainer when ready for The Archive
Maintainer assigns PTN-ID, moves to Validated Patterns
Human-AI Co-Creation
