📉 Honestly, I’ve seen it many times: instead of helping, Design Patterns end up making projects worse.
Common reasons why they fail
- Copied directly from books/tutorials without understanding the why and when.
- Forcing every problem into a Pattern → pure over-engineering.
- Team members interpret patterns differently → inconsistent, bloated code.
- Architecture evolves, but rigid implementations stay stuck.
💡 How to make them work (from a CTO’s perspective)
- A pattern is a tool, not the goal. Use it only when it solves a repeatable problem.
- Align the chosen pattern with the architecture vision & product strategy, not just personal taste.
- Make sure the whole team understands why this pattern was picked — otherwise, failure is guaranteed.
- Keep the architecture flexible and refactor-friendly.
👉 My take? The most successful patterns I’ve seen were the ones that became a shared language for the team — not a handcuff.
Your turn: Have you seen a Design Pattern cause more pain than value?
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