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Is there a "threshold" that makes a template a Unique template within the wireframe set? I have defined my "unique" templates as when the layout can apply for any of those pages with simple/tedious alterations.

I was wondering if there is certain formula for designating some templates as the "unique template" for that type.

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    What do you mean by unique? The whole concept of a template is that an item can be re-used (hence template) so no template is unique. If it's unique then you wouldn't use a template at all, you'd just create a bespoke page.
    – JonW ♦
    Jul 2, 2012 at 14:13
  • What is a "template in a wireframe set"? What are "those pages"?
    – Koen Lageveen
    Sep 9, 2013 at 19:06

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Theresa Neil, author of Designing Web Interfaces, has identified 12 standard screen patterns, these being (in no particular order):

  • Master/Detail
  • Column browse
  • List item
  • Search / results
  • Filter dataset
  • Form
  • Pallet / Canvas
  • Dashboard
  • Spreadsheet
  • Wizard
  • Question & Answer
  • Parallel panels
  • Interactive model
  • Blank state

Source: http://designingwebinterfaces.com/designing-web-interfaces-12-screen-patterns

EDIT: Three more were added in 2010:

  • Portal
  • Browse
  • Tabs

Source: http://designingwebinterfaces.com/ria-screen-layouts

You could try determining a unique vocabulary, leveraging what this site has to offer. You can then apply this set of terminology across your templates. You'll soon start seeing what is entirely unique, and where there are very close similarities.

Do not trust the vocabulary blindly though, as it may limit how you express something, meaning there may be differences not expressed.

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    Thanks for your answer, although can you summarize the content of this article? As this post on meta stackoverflow discusses "you haven't answered their question at all, you've deferred the answering to somewhere else.". If that link were to be taken down, we would lose all context. If you can summarize the article and provide the link as the citation source then you'll be providing a useful answer to the question.
    – JonW ♦
    Aug 6, 2012 at 15:02

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