How can you use nature and biology to inspire software design patterns?

1 Observer Pattern

The observer pattern is a behavioral design pattern that allows an object, called the subject, to notify other objects, called observers, about changes in its state. The observers can then react accordingly, without being tightly coupled to the subject. This pattern is similar to how animals communicate with each other using signals, such as sounds, smells, or gestures. For example, a bird may sing to alert other birds of its presence, a deer may snort to warn of danger, or a bee may dance to indicate the location of food.

2 Factory Pattern

The factory pattern is a creational design pattern that provides an interface for creating objects, without exposing the details of how they are constructed. The factory can decide which class of object to instantiate based on some criteria, such as input parameters, configuration settings, or environment variables. This pattern is similar to how nature produces organisms, without revealing the complex processes of genetics, embryology, or evolution. For example, a seed may grow into a different type of plant depending on the soil, climate, or pollination.

3 Composite Pattern

The composite pattern is a structural design pattern that allows you to compose objects into tree structures, and treat them uniformly as a single object. The composite can contain both leaf nodes, which are individual objects, and composite nodes, which are collections of objects. This pattern is similar to how nature forms hierarchies of biological entities, such as cells, tissues, organs, systems, and organisms. For example, a human body is a composite of many subsystems, such as the nervous system, the circulatory system, or the digestive system.

4 Strategy Pattern

The strategy pattern is a behavioral design pattern that allows you to define a family of algorithms, encapsulate them in separate classes, and make them interchangeable at runtime. The strategy can vary the behavior of an object, without changing its structure or interface. This pattern is similar to how nature adapts to different environments, challenges, or opportunities, by selecting the best strategy for survival and reproduction. For example, a plant may use different strategies for photosynthesis, depending on the availability of light, water, or nutrients.

5 Adapter Pattern

The adapter pattern is a structural design pattern that allows you to make incompatible interfaces compatible, by providing a wrapper class that converts the interface of one object into the interface of another. The adapter can enable communication and collaboration between objects that otherwise could not interact. This pattern is similar to how nature bridges gaps between different domains, levels, or systems, by creating adapters that translate or transform information or energy. For example, a chloroplast is an adapter that converts light energy into chemical energy for plant cells.

6 Singleton Pattern

The singleton pattern is a creational design pattern that ensures that only one instance of a class exists in the application, and provides a global access point to it. The singleton can control the creation and destruction of the object, and prevent duplication or conflicts. This pattern is similar to how nature maintains uniqueness and identity for certain entities, such as genes, species, or individuals. For example, a human fingerprint is a singleton that identifies a person uniquely, and can be used for authentication or verification.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?