PACE Pattern

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Origin Story ​

How PACE Came to Be

The PACE Pattern emerged from a simple observation at a pond in suburban Toronto.

The Setting: Mill Pond Park ​

Location: Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada Date: December 2024 Context: Designing a storefront for the Cormorant ecosystem

The Problem ​

I needed to build a storefront for multiple digital products:

  • StratIQX — Strategic intelligence reports
  • PlayIQX — Playbook analysis platform
  • Chirp MCP — Social media monitoring server
  • Plunge MCP — Web content foraging tool
  • Drift Site — AI-driven discovery interface

Traditional approach would be:

Grid of product cards
↓
User browses all options
↓
Clicks to read descriptions
↓
Compares features
↓
Makes decision (maybe)

The issue: Too many products. Too much cognitive load. Too little guidance.

The Observation ​

While walking near Mill Pond Park, I watched cormorants fishing.

What I noticed:

  • The bird doesn't browse the pond hoping to bump into fish
  • It dives with intent — targeting specific areas
  • It adapts — switching between shallow and deep dives
  • It surfaces efficiently — with exactly what it needs
  • It rests — conserving energy between hunts

The realization:

Users don't want to browse. They want a guide that dives, finds what they need, and surfaces with the answer.

The Breakthrough ​

What if the storefront wasn't a catalog, but a conversation?

Instead of:

Browse → Filter → Search → Compare → Decide

What about:

Ask → Guide Recommends → Understand → Decide

Key insight: The guide should behave like a cormorant hunts.

Naming the Pattern ​

Initial attempts: ​

  • ❌ "Guide-first UX" → Too generic
  • ❌ "Conversational commerce" → Already exists
  • ❌ "Agentic storefront" → Descriptive but not memorable

The breakthrough: ​

What if the acronym worked on TWO levels?

PACE =
├── Pattern for Agentic Conversational Experience (what it is)
└── Proactive, Adaptive, Contextual, Efficient (how it behaves)

Same letters. Complementary meanings. Self-documenting.

And it aligned perfectly with the cormorant metaphor:

  • Pursue (dive with intent)
  • Adapt (change strategy mid-hunt)
  • Capture (grasp precisely)
  • Efficient (conserve energy)

Building MillPond ​

The first PACE implementation was MillPond — named after the pond where the pattern was conceived.

Design decisions:

DecisionRationale
Guide named "Cormorant"Direct connection to biological inspiration
Greeting: "What are you fishing for?"Playful reference to the pond metaphor
Purple gradient themeDistinctive, modern, conversational
No navigation menuForce reliance on the guide
Executive SummaryCormorant surfaces insights like fish

The Semantic Intent Philosophy ​

PACE emerged from a broader philosophy I call Semantic Intent:

Semantic Intent (Philosophy)
├── "Clarity before code"
├── "Intent before implementation"
└── Natural language as source of truth
          ↓
    PACE Pattern (Framework)
    ├── Pattern for Agentic Conversational Experience
    ├── Proactive, Adaptive, Contextual, Efficient
    └── Guide-first interaction design
              ↓
        MillPond (Implementation)
        ├── Cormorant as guide
        ├── Conversation over catalog
        └── "Ask, don't browse"

Core belief: Software should understand what users mean, not just what they type.

The Semantic Matrix Discovery ​

On December 25, 2024, while working with Claude Web, I discovered that PACE has a unique linguistic structure.

It's not just a two-layer acronym — it's a 3D semantic matrix:

PACE
FrameworkPatternAgenticConversationalExperience
PrinciplesProactiveAdaptiveContextualEfficient
ComponentsProductAboutChatExecutive Summary

Every combination produces semantic coherence.

Explore the Semantic Matrix →

Evolution Timeline ​

December 2024 ​

  • Cormorant observation at Mill Pond
  • PACE acronym conceived
  • MillPond prototype built

December 23, 2024 ​

December 24, 2024 ​

  • PACE.js framework created
  • GitHub repository: pace.js
  • 15KB, zero dependencies, framework-agnostic

December 25, 2024 ​

  • Semantic Matrix discovery (with Claude Web)
  • VitePress documentation site initiated

Why "Pattern" and Not "Framework"? ​

Pattern emphasizes repeatability and adaptability:

  • Design Pattern — architectural approach, not prescriptive implementation
  • Framework — specific code implementation (PACE.js)
  • Implementation — concrete instance (MillPond)

PACE is a pattern that can be implemented in many ways:

  • PACE.js (JavaScript framework)
  • Custom React app
  • Django + HTMX
  • Native mobile app
  • Voice interface

The principles remain the same. The code can vary.

Influences ​

PACE was influenced by:

SourceInfluence
Cormorant foraging behaviorBiological inspiration for the pattern
Conversational AI (Claude, GPT)Technical foundation for guides
MCP ProtocolModular, extensible architecture
Alpine.jsLightweight, reactive UI philosophy
Design patterns (Gang of Four)Pattern-first thinking
DevEx 2.0 movementDeveloper experience as priority

From Pond to Pattern ​

The Mantra ​

"Ask, don't browse. Conversation over catalog. Guide-first, not grid-first."

What's Next? ​

PACE is evolving:

  • PACE.js — 15KB JavaScript framework
  • MillPond — Reference implementation
  • Documentation site — Comprehensive pattern guide
  • Community implementations — React, Vue, Svelte adapters
  • Research — UX studies, conversion metrics, cognitive load analysis

View the Roadmap →

The Full Story ​

InsightMoment
ObservationWatching cormorants fish at Mill Pond
ProblemToo many products, too little guidance
SolutionGuide users like a cormorant hunts
PatternPattern for Agentic Conversational Experience
PrinciplesProactive, Adaptive, Contextual, Efficient
ImplementationMillPond with Cormorant guide
FrameworkPACE.js (15KB, zero dependencies)
Discovery3D Semantic Matrix structure

See Also ​

From a pond in Ontario to a pattern for the AI era. 🐦