Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to the questions we get asked most often.

How do you maintain and assure quality?

Rigorous peer review of patterns before they are promoted. A release cycle every 6-8 months chunks new patterns together so we can look for synergies and overlaps.

If I reference controls/patterns how do I know that the site will persist?

We commit to maintaining the site indefinitely. Hosting costs are negligible and covered by donations. We expect future income from certification and training.

How will you stabilize OSA?

We use a release cycle to lock current controls while developing new items. Previous versions remain accessible for reference purposes.

What should I use to create patterns?

Vector graphics editors supporting SVG are recommended, including Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator, or Inkscape - which we prefer for being open source.

Can I use these materials for commercial profit?

Yes, with requirements to share improvements back to the community and credit OSA when using patterns.

Which organizations are using OSA?

We maintain privacy policies preventing disclosure of specific users, though we can note substantial adoption by major companies.

How long has OSA been available?

The first OSA articles and patterns were published early 2008. Before that some of the ideas underpinning OSA were developed over the course of 10+ years.

How actively is OSA developed?

Development continues at a steady pace given our open-source nature and volunteer-driven model.