Pattern Library vs Style Guide - what are the differences?

Pattern Library clearly defines what the User Interface components of your products are, how they behave and how they should be used or implemented in your digital product. The style guide is more concerned with how something should look and where it can be implemented.

1. What is the difference between a pattern library and a design system?
2. What is a pattern library?
3. What is the difference between a pattern and a component?
4. What should be included in a pattern library?

What is the difference between a pattern library and a design system?

Pattern library (Molecules & Organisms): A pattern is a group of components that designers use to solve usability issues–for example, a navbar with a logo, links, search form, and CTA button. A pattern library is a collection of UI patterns within a design system.

What is a pattern library?

What is a pattern library? A 'pattern library', as the name suggests, is a library of user interface (UI) patterns that designers and design teams use to build digital products. They are referred to as 'patterns' because they're recurring solutions that solve design problems.

What is the difference between a pattern and a component?

Despite their similarities, components and patterns differ in important ways. At a high level, patterns are meant to serve as baselines open to interpretation and application by a designer; on the other hand components are quite specific to an established design and thus more prescriptive and fixed.

What should be included in a pattern library?

A pattern library should include all the reusable elements in your project or app. This should include visual design elements like color, typography, icons and layouts which are persistent across the app. It also includes UI components like buttons, links, forms, navigation, tables, and other repeated modules.