Patterns of Knowing in Product Design

Explores the epistemological foundations of UX design, drawing on philosopher Esther Lightcap Meek's concept of 'Subsidiary-Focal Integration' to explain how users learn digital tools. Argues that design patterns act like forest paths — familiar clues that help users move from intent to outcome without conscious effort. Emphasizes two guiding principles for designers: convention (leveraging widely recognized patterns to reduce learning curves) and consistency (maintaining those patterns reliably to build user trust). Design systems are presented as a practical mechanism for enforcing both principles across a product.