In our design efforts we’ve been employing an interesting technique borrowed from architecture: the Parti.

Wikipedia defines a Parti as “…the chief organizing thought or decision behind an Architect’s design presented in the form of a basic diagram and / or a simple statement.” Essentially, the parti is used to make sure that every decision is made according to the same principles to create a building that is a cohesive whole. Applied to design, a Parti can ensure that an inteface is unified and makes sense as a whole.

The parti principle has been unknowingly used by most good designers, but now there is language that we can use to discuss and better direct these methods.

For more info, check out Luke Wroblewski’s presentation on the Parti.

Luke Wroblewski – Parti and the Design Sandwich from Interaction Design Association on Vimeo.