systems
Design pattern (UX pattern)
A reusable solution to a recurring user-facing problem – onboarding, error recovery, empty states – one abstraction level above the components it's built from.
A component is a thing (a button, a card, a dropdown). A pattern is a solution to a recurring problem, which might use several components together in a proven arrangement. “How do we let a user recover from a destructive action” is a pattern – the answer usually involves a confirmation dialog, itself built from components. “How do we onboard a first-time user without overwhelming them” is a pattern with several valid answers: a walkthrough, a checklist, an interactive empty state.
The level distinction is the useful part: one pattern can be correctly implemented with entirely different component arrangements in two products and still be recognisably the same pattern, because it solves the same behavioural problem. Practitioners use “pattern” loosely in conversation, which is exactly why it’s worth being precise here – patterns are solutions, components are building blocks, and design systems document both at their own levels.