About PLoP

The Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs, People, and Practices (PLoP) was established thirty years ago by The Hillside Group. It gathers people who wish to improve the quality of life through designing and using social and technical systems in a more humane way, effectively articulating professional and other creative practices, and sharing this tacit knowledge more broadly.

To achieve this, the conference promotes the use of patterns and pattern languages, as well as the underlying theory of the nature of order. Originating in the work of Christopher Alexander on building architecture, these ideas have been further developed in computer science, fundamentally changing the perception of software development.

Much of the pioneering work in this area originated at this and other PLoP conferences throughout the world. Patterns and pattern languages have expanded to many other areas, including art, well-being, learning, psychology, organizational development and change, sociology, and anthropology. PLoP 2024 encourages a variety of submissions regardless of the area they target.