Life with Reading: A Pattern Language for Creative Reading
TAKASHI IBA, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University
AIMI BURGOYNE, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University
AYAKA YOSHIKAWA, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University
FUMIE NIWAI, Keio Futsubu School
NORIHIKO KIMURA, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University
YASUSHI WATANABE, Yurindo, Co., Ltd. & Keio Research Institute at SFC

In this paper, we will present a pattern language for creative reading as a way to create opportunities to share one’s experiences readingand have dialogues about reading. The pattern language is composed of 27 patterns split into three categories: tips for reading, how tohave fun reading, and the idea of creative reading. With the pattern language, it will be possible to increase the opportunities tocommunicate about ways of and experiences with reading and the ways to approach reading. In this paper, we provide an outline of thepattern language itself, and also introduce how it was brought into use and reactions to its use in a middle school, university and public
workshop. From this actual case of its use, it was suggested that this pattern language is an effective medium to share tips on reading andhaving fun while doing it.
Categories and Subject Descriptors: [Social and professional topics]: Computing education—Informal education; [Software and its
engineering]: Language features—Patterns; [Software and its engineering]: Software development process management—Design
patterns
General Terms: Human Factors
Additional Key Words and Phrases: reading, book, pattern language, design, creativity
ACM Reference Format:
Iba, T., Burgoyne, A., Yoshikawa, A., Niwai, F., Kimura, N., and Watanabe, Y. 2018. Life with Reading: A Pattern Language for Creative
Reading. HILLSIDE Proc. of Conf. on Pattern Lang. of Prog. 25 (October 2018), 18 pages.

1. INTRODUCTION
In the present day, with countless media being used in our everyday lives, it is said that books are no longer
being bought and read than before. However, in fact, many people still have fun with, make use of and live withbooks. People looks be split into two large categories: those who enjoy books very much and those who are far
from reading books.
People who do not like, or dislike, reading or consider themselves bad at it often believe that books must beread thoroughly from the beginning to the end or that one must try to understand the information or message
that the author is conveying, causing them to have trouble reading or get bored and tired while trying to do so.
While there are cases in which thoroughly reading through or correctly grasping the author’s intentions isimportant, that is not all there is to reading. It should be accepted that there are various ways to read and have
fun doing so.
The concept of how to read is in fact very broad and diverse. There are countless reasons for reading, ways
to read and ways to enjoy reading; therefore, the experience of ‘reading’ varies from person to person.
However, most people do not have many opportunities to converse with others about their unique styles ofand experiences with reading. What was read (the object), how one understood it (the content) and how muchone read (the amount) is often talked about; however, how one reads or how one enjoyed reading (the way) israrely shared.
Recognizing this as a problem, we created a pattern language for creative reading, capturing various ways
to read and enjoy doing so while also spurring creativity. With these patterns about ‘how to read’, there will be
more opportunities to communicate about ways of and experiences with reading as well as various approaches
on how to create opportunities to encounter books. The 27 patterns that we introduce in this paper are
Author's address: T. Iba., Endo 5322, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan, 252-0882; email: iba@sfc.keio.ac.jp.
Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that
copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page.
To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission. A preliminary version ofthis paper was presented in a writers' workshop at the 25th Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (PLoP). PLoP'18, OCTOBER 2426, Portland, Oregon. Copyright 2018 is held by the author(s). HILLSIDE 978-1-941652-09-1

separated into three categories: (1) tips for reading, (2) how to enjoy reading and (3) creative reading. Whilethese patterns can be applied to reading in forms all forms, including academic papers, newspapers, etc., they
were created with the reading of books in mind.
In the following sections, first, we will discuss the anticipated state of reading in the near future and, then,provide an overview of the Pattern Language for Creative Reading. Following that, we will introduce examples
of its use in several different locations, including a middle school, university and public event. We will discuss
how the patterns were introduced in these cases and what was thought of it.
2. CREATIVE READING IN THE CREATIVE SOCIETY
2.1

Reading in the Creative Society
Takashi Iba, one of the authors of this paper, suggests that modern history can be split roughly into threeoverlapping eras: consumption, communication and creation, which he refers to as the three C’s (Iba, 2016).
The first C, consumption, refers to an era in which consumerism, buying products and services, was the symbolof happiness. The second C, communication, refers to an era in which good relationships and the ability tocommunicate with others, on or off-line, were the judge of a good lifestyle.
We believe that we are now entering the third C, the creation era, where the quality of one’s life is judged bywhether he or she can and does create freely. We believe that this third C will lead to creative societies. In thecreative society, everyone will create the things and lifestyles they want by themselves as well as new methods,
organizations and communities that resonate with themselves. When this time comes, tools for personal
fabrication, such as 3D printers and laser cutter, and places, such as Fab Lab, future centers or living labs, will
become the support for creative activities. People can also write and use Pattern Languages to help create abetter lifestyle for themselves.
Reading as a creative activity is using what is read as a source of ideas, a way of reading that is referred to inthis paper as ‘creative reading’. In the Creative Society, the ability to read creatively will be accessible toanybody, a vision we believe can be fulfilled with the ‘Life with Reading’ patterns. In creative reading, what thereader takes in goes beyond what the author says and leads to new discoveries. Reading is not just purely theaction of processing words but is also a significant source of support and stimulation in creative activities.
2.2

Creative Reading
One may be wondering: what exactly is creative reading? Put simply, it is reading as inspiration to put thereader’s unique image into words. When thinking of a new idea or plan, one may have a vague image in his or
her head; however, it is often difficult to express it with words. In those cases, the reader can put what hewanted to say into words as he flips through a book. To compose their own words, readers can search forwords in the treasure chest, that is, books.
Using the workings of the theoretical systems or story worlds that are written and applying them tocompletely different fields is another style of creative reading. For example, one might think about the processof creating systems within organizations when reading a book about forest ecosystems or think about thedesign of educational spaces while reading about the layout of Martian colonies. Of course, this will differ fromthe author’s aim of the book, and the reader is somewhat arbitrarily reading into it differently; therefore, it isinevitable that the ideas may be a bit of a leap. However, it is this leap that is necessary to spur creative ideas.
In fact, there is a sociologist who have constructed social systems theory, taking some concepts from thesystems theory in biology (Luhmann, 1995). Readers can take in how what is written in the book and thecreative field they are working in relate and use analogies to deepen their thoughts. One can say that this styleof reading is indispensable to the Creative Society.
Additionally, there is the style of creative reading in which, to paint a vision of the future, the reader collects
pieces of what is written in the book as ‘Pieces of the Future’. Whether in novels, poetry, art books or even a
manual, readers can collect any stories, phrases and ideas in which they can sense a bud of the future andcollect these as parts of the “Pieces of the Future.” Reading to paint by oneself an image of the future—this is
another kind of creative reading.
Overall, creative reading can be defined as using what is written in books to create the world aroundoneself. These Creative Reading styles have been practiced by various people, including many creators,
innovators and researchers. In fact, author Haruki Murakami says the following about his experience withreading:

Life with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 2

“If books didn’t exist, or I didn't read as many books as I did, my life would most likely bemuch colder and bounded than it is now. In other words, the action of `reading,’ to me, is asignificant learning opportunity, and books are like a school.” (Haruki Murakami, 2015,
p.210)
In his case, Haruki Murakami creatively read many books throughout his life that built him into the person
and writer he is now. While he was able to do this without the help of a pattern language or other support, theimportant feature of the Creative Society is these reading styles will be widely available to any ordinary person.
Reading to gain direct knowledge and sharing what is absorbed will remain a necessity and way of enjoying
reading. However, in addition, we see a future in which creative styles of reading make the idea of reading evenmore attractive.
The next section presents an overview of the pattern language for creative reading called ‘Life with
Reading’, a method that includes tips and ways to enjoy reading in general as well as tips for creative reading.
3. OVERVIEW OF PATTERNS—LIFE WITH READINGThe pattern language for creative reading, based on our creation process of pattern language (Iba, 2016; Iba& Isaku, 2016), was created by interviewing around 30 people with no requirement for reading frequency.
These interviews asked readers to identify moments they feel ingenuity or enjoyment when reading and any
unique points in their reading habits.
In ‘Life with Reading: A Pattern Language for Creative Reading’ (Figure 1), 27 patterns to support thepractice of creative reading are introduced and separated into three categories: ‘Tips for Reading’, ‘Ways to
Enjoy Reading’ and ‘Ideas for Creative Reading’. Each individual category has nine patterns (Figure 2).
Because the 27 patterns we created were made with the purpose of making it easier for those who do not
usually, we focused on making it an entrance that helps solve problems that tend to occur when reading, shows
ways to enjoy reading other than just reading the contents and conveys how to use reading as a type of creative
medium. Additionally, we made the text itself short so that even those who are not fond of the act of reading
can read it easily.
The patterns are not all written in the traditional pattern format. The first category, ‘Tips for Reading’, iswritten in the traditional format of context, problem and solution. However, the next two categories aredifferent. In ‘Ways to Enjoy Reading’, we introduce ways to have fun with reading. Because there is no ‘correct’
way to have fun, usually, there are no problems or forces. As everybody’s idea of what is fun varies, instead ofwriting it in an active voice as usual patterns are, they are mainly written in a passive voice in a gentler stylewith the purpose of introducing some possibilities of ways reading can be enjoyed. ‘Ideas for Creative Reading’introduces the concept of ‘Creative Reading’. It is the Creative Society’s ideal state of reading put into words;
therefore, it does not always have a clear ‘solution’.
In the first category, ‘Tips for Reading’, we introduce patterns that show ways to better practice reading1.
These patterns focus on tips to help people who struggle with or do not like reading. Nine patterns identify tips
to solve worries and problems that tend to occur while reading, such as the reader worrying that she must readthe book thoroughly from beginning to end or accurately grasp the author’s intentions or the reader not being
able to make time to read.
In the second category, ‘Ways to Enjoy Reading’, we introduce ways to better enjoy reading in one’s daily
life. These patterns address the problem of readers becoming bored and feeling disconnected from books bystating positive feelings about and aspects of reading because sometimes simply reading the contents of thebook does not allow one to grasp the goodness of reading thoroughly. Because they are centered on conveying
the enjoyment and charm of books, these patterns help solve the problem of people having difficulty making
opportunities to get close to books without clearly stating the problem within the pattern contents.
The methods of Creative Reading are summarized in the third category, ‘Ideas for Creative Reading’. The
category contains nine patterns about creative methods of reading and opportunities for readers in theCreative Society to borrow the power of books for their own creative activities. Like the patterns to enjoy
reading, these nine patterns each present individual solutions to the problem of overlooking the opportunity touse books as a sort of creative medium rather than simply a transmissive medium.
1

The 9 ‘Tips for Reading’ patterns are introduced in full in our paper (Nitta, et al., 2018).

Life with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 3

While the first two categories do not directly relate to or require Creative Reading, we believe that using
these patterns can help inspire Creative Reading.

Fig. 1. The pattern cards of ‘Life with Reading—a Pattern Language for Creative Reading’Fig. 2. List of the 27 patterns in the Pattern Language for Creative Reading

4. WAYS TO USE THE PATTERNSEach pattern in the Pattern Language for Creative Reading is listed on an individual postcard-sized card.
While the patterns can be applied without the use of the cards, we believe that it is most effective to use them.
The main ways to use these cards are to (1) put it somewhere in reach, (2) Listen about practices from people
who like books, (3) share experiences, and (4) teach ways of reading. The instructions for each method of using
the cards are explained below.
4.1

Put it Somewhere in Reach
Put the selected pattern cards somewhere that you will see every day. For example, tape it to yourbookshelf or put it on your desk. By doing this, you will naturally encounter the patterns, which will give you achance to change how you approach books and reading. You can simply place the pattern card somewhere but
putting it in a picture frame is also great. You can even put the card in your planner or notebook to keep it withyou at all times.
4.2

Hear from People Who Like Books
You may be unsure of how to practice unfamiliar patterns. In these cases, you can show the card tosomeone who reads often and ask them how they read. For example, if you ask questions such as “do you doLife with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 4something like this?” or “what are you doing?” you will most likely be able to hear concrete examples or piecesof advice. You will realize that there are various ways to practice even the same card.
4.3

Share Experiences
Using the pattern cards makes talking about our experiences easier. You can discuss these experiences inseveral ways. The first method is to spread all of the cards on a table and take turns choosing a topic for
discussion. It is easy to talk because you can start off with what you want to discuss. The second method is to
shuffle the cards and randomly pass a few to each person. Each person will read the cards she has in her handand look back at her experiences. Then, each participant will choose one of her cards and share that patternwith everyone so all can discuss their experiences. This method feels like a game and makes a fun atmosphere.
4.4

Teach Ways of Reading
When teaching ways of reading to people who do not read much, explaining by using the name of thepattern as vocabulary and showing the cards makes it easier to convey. For example, when giving homework
related to reading or recommending reading, presenting it along with pattern cards allows you to also convey
ways and methods for reading. For people who are not good with reading, it becomes a trigger for them to try
to read, while for people who already like reading, it become a way for them to broaden the ways they
approach books. If the words of the patterns become a shared language, it will then be possible to easily convey
the patterns by using just the words.
5. CASE 1: SHARING HOW TO ENJOY READING AT A MIDDLE SCHOOL
We will introduce a case study that took place in at a middle school with students aged 13 to 15 in thefollowing paragraphs.
5.1

Background
According to the Reading Survey of 2017, 5.6% of elementary students, 15.0% of middle school students
and 50.4% of high school students do not read even one book a month (classified from here on as nonreaders)2. The percentage of non-readers increases with grade level, due in large part to the importance placedon reading in middle and high school.
Some reasons that middle schoolers give for not reading is they “are busy with other activities” (54.0%),“have things they would rather do” (56.9%) or “usually do not read” (44.6%). These reasons were given much
more often than other reasons, such as they “do not have books they want to read” (35.8%), “do not know whatbooks are interesting” (16.3%) or “are not good at reading” (14.9%)3. This means that it will be difficult to
invite middle school students to read by just introducing a book that they would want to read or going with theconventional approach of teaching students who are bad with reading. On the other hand, the proportion of
students who say that the Morning Reading program, where students were given an allotted slot of time inelementary and middle school in which they all read, “is fun because I get to read” or “made me enjoy readingbooks” decreases from elementary to middle and high school, showing that securing time to read does notnecessarily lead to meaningful reading.
5.2

How It was Introduced
At the Keio Futsubu School (a private middle school), every week one hour of the first year’s language arts
class (which takes place for five hours every week) is reserved for ‘Library Time’, where the librarian teaches
information literacy and reading education. Up until now, rather than just exhibiting popular books anddistributing lists of recommended books, we have implemented various reading programs, such as ‘reading
aloud’, ‘storytelling’, ‘book clubs’, where a group all reads the same book, and ‘book talk’, where students
introduce a book according to a theme. However, many students do not read outside of class time, and so they
were largely split into two groups: those who read and those who do not, with a high portion of students only
reading highly entertaining books such as light novels and comic books, leading us to seek a better and more
effective method for reading education. Specifically, the task was to find out how to share tips, ways to enjoy
and awareness of reading with students who do not use their own time to read and how to get them to want toread.
2 63th Survey of Reading, School Library, No.805, School Library Association, 2017, in Japanese, pp.13-40.
3 Research Report on the Promotion of Reading Activities of Children, July, 2018, in Japanese.

Life with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 5

The ‘Life with Reading’ pattern cards, introduced in November 2017 at a workshop for librarians, aim tochange attitudes regarding reading by starting dialogues about tips and ways to have fun while reading. This isdifferent from the reading programs that have taken place at school libraries up until now, such asrecommending books and talking about the contents of the book or the author. It was decided to use thesecards in the classes at the library because it was believed that they can be used to convey tips about and ways
to enjoy reading to students who understand the necessity of books but have a hard time getting into reading.
Over the third semester (from the middle of January to the end of February 2018), 6 class periods wereused for reading, with 15 minutes for group discussions using pattern cards, 30 minutes for free reading and 5
minutes for reflecting. We selected six patterns that we deemed would help first-year middle school students
recall their experiences with reading. These patterns were: FREESTYLE READING, ROUGH READING and READINGPARTNERS from the ‘Tips for Reading’ category and FAMILIAR BOOKSTORE, BOOK-DRIVEN ACTIONS and TODAY’SBUDDY from the ‘Ways to Enjoy Reading’ category.
In the class, following the fourth way of using the cards, ‘Teach Ways of Reading,’ presented in section 4.4,
the librarian begins by talking about her experiences with reading while explaining the words and illustrations
on the card. Then, the students begin to recall their own experiences and speak one after another, beginning
discussions within the groups (Figure 3). This naturally leads into the time for dialogue between students.
Furthermore, large copies of the cards were placed on each desk so that the group can look at them together
while discussing. After this, time is given for each student to read freely anywhere in the library with therecommendation to try using the pattern written on the cards discussed (Figure 4). For example, we
recommended that they find the place where they can do their FREESTYLE READING, try ROUGH READING withbooks other than stories, choose books with READING PARTNERS, or borrow a book as TODAY’S BUDDY for readingon the train from the library. Last, the students use reflection sheets to record their thoughts, reading styles
tried during the class and what they would like to try in the future.
5.3

The Students’ Practice and Thoughts
The reflection sheets from each class and the survey we gave after each of the six sessions, we learned
both achievements and areas for improvement in using the ‘Life with Reading’ cards in reading education.

Fig. 3. Sharing their own experiences using the patterns

Fig. 4. Students trying out FREESTYLE READING in the library (left), and students discussing a book with READING PARTNERS (right)
Life with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 6

The pattern that left the biggest impact on the students and was thought to have a large influence on thestudents’ reading after class was FREESTYLE READING. Each student has his own FREESTYLE READING, andopinions on the appropriate place for reading were actively exchanged during the group discussion. Within theclasses, students tried reading in various places with various postures. Additionally, many students foundspaces or time where they could easily read outside of class (Figure 5). Though, at first, few students had
discussed FREESTYLE READING before (Figure 6), students were able to gain awareness of their experiences byusing ‘Keys for Reading’ and put that awareness into words. With this, they could increase communication with
their peers and stimulate each other, making them better able to think of ways to read. For example, comments
such as those below were written in surveys completed after the classes.
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“I checked not only a posture that makes reading easier, but also the environment in my room. I used toread in the winter without the heater on and had a hard time concentrating, so I tried reading with theheater on and I could concentrate. In today’s class, I tried out different ways to hold a book and noticed
that it is easier for me to read while holding the book with two hands rather than one.”“I tried out various reading styles, such as in the bath or on the train, but when I read on the train I
started feeling sick and couldn’t read, and in the bath my hand would fall asleep and I couldn’t read.”“I thought that reading on my bed is bad because I would fall asleep, but when I tried it, I didn’t fallasleep and was able to read relaxed.”“I was able to find a place in my house that I could calmly read.”‘Today I read at a very open and spacious place and realized that I read better in more cozy and narrowplaces.”Fig. 5. People who searched for or thought of places where they can read easily

Fig. 6. People who talked with friends or family about where and how they read

The patterns that had the greatest increase in practice numbers before and after the classes was READINGPARTNERS. According to the survey, the number of students who searched for READING PARTNERS to recommend
books increased (Figure 7), and there were many students who actually read books that their READINGLife with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 7

PARTNERS suggested (Figure 8). The survey revealed that students who had previously not considered getting
book recommendations were able to learn tips to find interesting books.
²²“I never really read books and so I didn’t know what books I should read. The friend that I walk homewith and I see eye to eye; therefore, I asked them for their recommended author and when I read it, it
was very interesting.”“I asked for book recommendations from people who watch the same TV shows and it was very
interesting. I realized that books recommended by people who are on the same wavelength are very
interesting.”

Fig. 7. People searching for READING PARTNERS

Fig. 8. People who read books that READING PARTNERS are reading

Conversely, the pattern that few students tried after the classes was ROUGH READING, the pattern thatencourages students to skim and identify important details rather than comprehending the entire text (Figure9). This is most likely because most students were reading novels, which are not the most conducive to thisstyle of reading. However, as the comments below show, students who tried out ROUGH READING or realizedthat encyclopedias and newspapers are read with ROUGH READING were enthused about incorporating thistechnique in future reading. To teach ROUGH READING as a tip for reading, it may be necessary to devote classtime to reading texts other than novels.
²²²“I tried out this pattern by roughly reading a baseball textbook while reading Run! Basketball Team at T.
High School (a Japanese novel).”“Today’s theme was ROUGH READING, so I chose a book about baseball formations that I could readroughly. It is nice to read the whole thing slowly, but carefully reading specific parts of the book makes
it easier to understand, and it made think that this reading style is actually pretty nice.”“It is fun to read the many descriptions and depictions in novels, so I won’t read it roughly. However,even if you read illustrated encyclopedias or art books roughly you can understand the contents fromthe contents, so they are often read roughly. Even in newspapers, people only roughly read the articles
Life with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 8they are interested in. I realized that I already know a lot of different reading styles. I want to try it out
with other books too.”²

Fig. 9. People who do ROUGH READING

Compared to the other three patterns, FAMILIAR BOOKSTORE and BOOK-DRIVEN ACTIONS did not lead to as
many interesting discussions during class. Many students talked about it after the classes (Figures 10 and 11),and the number of students who practiced it did not increase much (Figures 12 and 13). One can think that thisis because, during the one and a half months in which the class was taking place, there were not many
opportunities to go to a book store or do something based on what the students read.

Fig. 10. People who talk about bookstores with their friends

Fig. 11. People who talk about their experience with BOOK-DRIVEN ACTIONSLife with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 9

Fig. 12. People who tried going to a bookstore

Fig. 13. People who do so something based on what they read

Even though our time frame was limited, using the FREESTYLE READING, READING PARTNERS, ROUGH READING,FAMILIAR BOOKSTORE, BOOK-DRIVEN ACTIONS and TODAY’S BUDDY cards from ‘Life with Reading’ lead to morecommunication between peers about tips for reading and ways to enjoy it. Based on the survey following theclasses and the atmosphere in the school library, we were able to confirm that students remained positively
engaging in reading by using the names of the patterns for Reading in conversations with their peers andpracticing the reading tips. Additionally, 125 students (65%) said that the number of books they read outsideof school increased, and 91 students (44%) said that they tried reading books by different recommended
authors.
6. CASE 2: IMPROVING WAYS OF READING AT A UNIVERSITYThis next example is a case in which some of the patterns were introduced to students at a university withthe aim of improving the ways they read.
During their spring break in 2018 (from roughly the beginning of February to the end of March), thestudents of the Iba Laboratory at Keio University were assigned a ‘Spring Break Reading Assignment’ and areading assignment in preparation for the ‘Spring Special Research Project’. Along with these assignments, they
were given 10 of the ‘Life with Reading’ patterns that were deemed significant to the assignments and weretold to keep them in mind during their reading. The patterns they were given were: ROUGH READING, NOTES ONPAGES, BOOK THE DATE, LINKS WITHIN BOOKS, PERSONAL BOOKSHELF, DISCOVERY OF DETAIL, LIFE WITH READING,INSPIRATION FOR CREATION, FRAMEWORK FOR THINKING and CLUES FOR CREATIVE LIVING.
Surveys of the students’ use of the patterns were taken both before and after the reading assignments. The
surveys taken at different points of time included whether students had practiced the patterns before theassignment and during the assignment and whether they were still practicing the patterns both a month and ayear after the assignments. In each of the surveys, students were instructed to select for each pattern whether
they practiced the pattern, sometimes practiced the pattern or did not practice the pattern. We surveyed 21
undergraduate students and one graduate student for a total of 22 participants.
The following are some of the responses from the free comments section of the survey given one monthafter the assignment.
²“Not really liking to read, I stopped reading books in middle school. This was because I thoughtbooks had to be read thoroughly from beginning to end, so ROUGH READING really opened myLife with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 10

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eyes. Feeling that even I can finish a book with rough reading, it made me want to read evenmore.”“I had always focused too much on having to read everything completely, so I found compulsory
reading pretty troublesome. However, now that I know that I can just do ROUGH READING, I’ve
become much more willing to read and am no longer intimidated by even big, thick books.”“Even though I usually see reading as a chore, even I was able to continue reading by using thesehints. ROUGH READING especially helped me.
“To practice ROUGH READING and NOTES ON PAGES in the best way for myself, I started by looking
at what seemed interesting in the table of contents and read those parts first. I feel that rather
than reading the whole book thoroughly, picking up the parts that interest me helps me absorb
and remember more information.”“I always took notes separately on my computer because I wanted to keep books clean, but now
that I take NOTES ON PAGES, I can write and know what and how I felt and heard while reading atthat moment.”“The way that I read changed drastically by practicing these ‘Life with Reading’ patterns was
especially eye opening because I could read books that I would have usually never been able to.
Once I finished them, I would become curious about the parts that I skipped and when I decided
to reread those parts, I found them interesting and easy to read.”“Up until now, I had never done ROUGH READING and always tried to completely understandbooks thoroughly without jumping back or forward within it. Because it was frustrating when
there were parts I didn’t understand, I found reading stressful and had to mentally prepare
myself before starting a book. Once I realized that it was worth it even if you only did ROUGHREADING, I became able to read easily and a bit more light-heartedly. Now I read about two or
three books every week.”“Thanks to ROUGH READING, I was able to read more and enjoy more parts within books. Also,
because I could see them written in words, it became clear to me why I was practicing the waysof reading that I had already been practicing. The time that I spend reading seems even moresignificant to me now.”“I had never written directly in books and didn’t really see the purpose but tried writing NOTESON PAGES for the first time during the assignment. I realized that writing in the books as I read is
an opportunity to put my thoughts into words. The notes also serve as a hint to look back onwhat I felt and thought while reading.”“I had been writing NOTES ON PAGES a bit since I was in high school, but by reading the pattern, I
could understand that it was an acceptable and good way of reading and the number of notes I
wrote increased.”“During this assignment, I really felt that it was important to BOOK THE DATE. It’s hard to read abook within a fixed period because I can usually never make time and always put reading aside.
With this assignment, I was really able to feel how important it is to make a specific time toconcentrate on reading.”“I have always enjoyed reading and read a lot when I have the chance. But even if I have a book I
want to read, I can never find the opportunity to do so and end up doing other things while
thinking that I want to read. Wanting to change this, during this spring break I would often BOOK
THE DATE. I didn’t write in my schedule book exactly from what time to what time I would read,but I would find the days the days that I didn’t have anything scheduled and write in reminders
to read.”“ ‘Life with Reading’ patterns has influenced me even after the assignment. By realizing how
books I happen to find by chance can broaden my world and mind, I began to enjoy books fromthe moment I first encounter them. Because each time I find a book seems fateful, I am able toenjoy and read the book with a different and wonderful mindset.”“I had never really looked for LINKS WITHIN BOOKS, but after learning the pattern, it became away for me to search for things when there is something that I would like to know.”“Because so many ways of reading and enjoying books became available to me, I’m now able topick and know the best reading style that suits me according to the time and place.”“ ‘Life with Reading’ patterns really fascinated me. In the past, whether it was looking at, buying,or reading books, it was always something obvious to me that I took for granted. After thisLife with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 11

assignment, I’ve come to feel whenever I am holding and reading a book, that is in fact a
wonderful miracle. It’s made me realize how precious both the time spent reading and the bookitself are.”Figure 14 shows number of people who selected that they are practicing a particular pattern and thechange in this number over time. The number of people practicing each pattern increased during thereading assignment where they were instructed to use the patterns as references. Additionally, for the
majority of patterns, the number of people practicing continued to increase after the assignment. Figure
15 shows the number of people they either are practicing or sometimes practicing a particular pattern.
Like Figure 14, this graph also shows a general increase in the number of people practicing the patterns.
Finally, Figure 16 is the overall picture of the students’ implementation of the patterns. In this graph,each selection of ‘practicing’ is given a value of 1 and each selection of ‘sometimes practicing’ is given a
value of 0.5; these values are then added to give an overall score for each pattern’s implementation.
From this chart, you can also observe chart that in this case, the overall use of the patterns tends toincrease over time.
From these results, it can be inferred that by introducing patterns and having students refer to themduring a literature reading assignment, the use of these patterns will increase, and a majority of students
will continue practicing them thereafter.

Fig. 14. The change in the number of students who selected ‘practicing’ during the surveys over time

Fig. 15. The change in the number of students who selected ‘practicing’ or ‘sometimes practice’ during the surveys over time

Life with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 12

Fig. 16. The overall picture of pattern implementation (the added results from 22 people with ‘practicing’ given a value of 1 and ‘sometimes
practice’ given a value of 0.5) (Blue: Before the assignment; Orange: During the assignment; Grey: One month after; Yellow: One year after)

7. CASE 3: DIALOGUE WORKSHOP FOR ADULTS
The last example of an application of the cards is an event involving dialogue workshops about reading
experiences.
7.1

Introduction
At the ‘Library Fair’ that took place in November of 2017 at Yokohama, 200 participants talked about theirexperiences using a number of patterns (Figure 17). The 27 patterns support talking about one’s uniqueexperiences with reading and sharing those stories with others.

Fig. 17. Dialogue workshop using the patterns

Some comments we received from the participants were: ‘It was a very exciting time, and I was able toexperience the fact that patterns also function as a tool for communication’ and ‘when people ask me what isgood about reading, if I show them these ‘words’, I think they will get in the mood to read. One can say that bysharing experiences with patterns or what you would like to do, one can discover the diverse ways that others
read, and it can function as ‘glasses of recognition’ or ‘media for dialogue’.
Additionally, from people who are not very good with reading but would like to improve, we heard things
such as “I had never thought of things like ROUGH READING or PERSONAL BOOKSHELF I think I would like to challenge
reading again” and “I went to a book store and bought five different books to put in my bookshelf. I’m having
fun by making plans to read before going to bed and choosing what to read based off my mood and reading theLife with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 13

parts that I don’t really understand roughly.” We had many such examples that connect with practice andexpect that it will become a trigger to read.
We made, as a ‘Pattern Object’ (Iba, et al., 2016), a bookmark and gave it as a souvenir to participants(Figure 18). The bookmark is designed to catch the eye upon opening the book and prompts practice of thepatterns.

Fig. 18. The Pattern Object, Pattern Bookmark

8. CONCLUSION
In this paper, we introduced a Pattern Language that inspires Creative Reading and examples of its use.
Creative Reading is not a new idea but one which has been practiced by creators, artists, innovators andresearchers up until now. In a Creative Society in which each person’s creativity is desired and demonstrated,
we see a future where this idea is open to everyone.
The sociologist Niklas Luhmann said that societies are established by chains of communication and tochange the society, one must change communication (Luhmann, 1989). Until now, most reading education has
involved reading promotion activities, such as out loud storytelling and reading weeks, orchestrated by schools
and libraries. Again, presently, there is communication about books themselves in the form of internet reviews
or recommendations on SNS (Social Networking Service). However, there is not much communication about
the action of reading itself. The reason is there is not enough of a vocabulary available to talk about reading.
For example, the highly educated advocate for editing, Seigo Matsuoka, says the following in regard totechniques for reading books.
“The biggest problem is that the process of reading is hard to see from the outside. Marcel
Duchamp says that ‘You can see what people see but you cannot hear what people hear’,meaning that ‘You can see what people are reading, but you cannot see how people arereading”. (Matsuoka, 2009, p.8）
In the current situation, ways of reading stay as one’s own experiences and are not opened or shared withothers. The Pattern Language for Creative Reading was made to be a shared language for this purpose, and wewould be happy if the cases we provided were successful in sharing an image of the ways of use.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Pattern Language for Creative Reading is the result of joint research between Keio University’s Iba
Laboratory and Yurindo Co., LTD. Starting with Hiroki Koishi for his commitment to the making of the patterns,
we would like to express our thanks to the people of Yurindo Co. We would also like to express thanks to theproject members who worked with us to make the language: Tsuyoshi Ishida, Rio Nitta, Wataru Murakami andHina Kato. Additionally, we would like to thank the many people who shared their tips for reading and ways
they enjoy it in an interview and the members of Iba Lab who gave advice in writing this paper. Finally, we
would like to thank our shepherd, David Kane, and the members of our Writer’s Workshop who contributed
immensely to the growth of this paper: Richard Gabriel, Joe Yoder, Kyle Brown, Christian Kohls, Christian
Köppe and Mary Lynn Manns.

Life with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 14

APPENDIX: ‘LIFE WITH READING’ PATTERNS
A.1 Tips for Reading
No.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Pattern Name

Pattern Illustration

Pattern Summary

Rough Reading

When reading with the mindset of catching every detail, there may be times
when you give up halfway or are even discouraged from starting in the firstplace. Therefore, pick up phrases/sections that seem important as you read,grasping the overall flow of the book. Focus on the parts that you feel are
important instead of getting caught up in the detail. Keep in mind it’s always
possible to revisit any important sections later. By approaching the reading
process in this way, you will be able to understand the overall content of thebook without stressing over detail.

Notes on Pages

When reading, you may encounter new exciting ideas. However, as suchfindings are often instantaneous, you may not get a chance to deepen thosethoughts or may even forget them as time passes. Therefore, make a habit tohave a pen or a pencil any time you read; underline points you feel are
important, and write your thoughts/comments in the margins. By leaving a
trace of your thoughts in the book, you will be able to organize and deepen
your thoughts as you read. Furthermore, it will make it easier for you toquickly find important sections when you read the book again, and may evenallow you to see how your thoughts/knowledge change and develop overtime.

Freestyle
Reading

When you are sitting down and reading a book quietly, there may be times
when you get tired or sleepy, inhibiting you from focusing on your reading.
Therefore, change your posture or the environment in which you read, findfor yourself a comfortable reading style. For instance, instead of sitting stillin a chair, you may want to try reading standing up or lying down. You could
also listen to music or change the place in which you read. Through finding
the styles of reading that work for you, you will find more opportunities inyour life to enjoy reading.

Book the Date

You may find it difficult to find time for reading in your daily life. Even if you
have a book that you want to read, other plans may get in the way. Therefore,build time to read into your schedule and write it in your planner. By
regarding reading as something that is as important as any other plan, youwill find it easier to make time for it.

Meaning of
Reading

In a busy life where you are constantly facing task after task, reading canbecome something of low priority. However, if you continue to neglect
reading, you may be losing important opportunities to grow and develop
your knowledge in the long run. Therefore, secure time for reading with themindset that it is a high-priority, essential part of your personal growth. The
knowledge you gain from reading accumulates and develops over a long
period of time. If you are able to identify for yourself how reading
contributes to your long-term growth, you will naturally be able to maketime for reading even amidst a busy schedule.

Reading
Partners

Even if you want to make time for reading, there are times when you cannot
help but to prioritize other plans. Especially if the book you are trying toread is challenging, you may get frustrated and give up on it before you cangain any significant understanding. Therefore, search for people who areinterested in similar topics as you and make opportunities to read/discuss
the book together. By having other people to read/discuss the book with, itwill be easier to establish and stick to a timeline to finish the book.
Furthermore, having people to discuss with allows you to understand thebook through multiple angles, helping to deepen your understanding andclarify any points that you find difficult to understand.

Links Within
Books

When searching for the next book to read, you may find yourself not knowing
where to start. Amidst the vast number of books available to read, it can bedifficult to find ones that will be meaningful to you. Therefore, search forworks/authors referenced in books that you have enjoyed in the past. In
other words, looks for the ‘links within books’. Through using informationreferenced in books that you enjoy, you will be able to discover works thatare relevant to your interest and/or expand your mind.

Life with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 15

89Same Deep
Feeling

When looking for the next book to read, it can be difficult to find one thatsuits your taste. Therefore, find a person whose ‘wavelength’ is similar to
yours and share book recommendations with them. This will make it easier
to come across books that you can enjoy, and will allow you to encounter
those you wouldn’t have found on your own. Even if the topic of the book issomething outside of your usual interest, you will most likely enjoy it if you
and the person who recommended it share a similar deep feeling.

Personal
Bookshelf

Even if you find a book that catches your interest, you may not proceed topurchase it if you feel that you will not read it right away. However, you may
forget about that book over time, or may not be able to find it when you want
it again. Therefore, try to purchase a book at the moment it catches yourinterest, and have it stashed in your bookshelf for later. Your bookshelf is not
only a place to store book you have already read. It is also a place to keep
books that you may read at some point in the future. By having such books
stored in your bookshelf, your bookshelf will begin to resemble yourinterests in the past, present and future.

A.2 Ways to Enjoy Reading
No.

10

11

12

13

14

15

Pattern Name

Pattern Illustration

Pattern

Valuable
Possession

The value of books is not just about what is written inside; a book’s physicalqualities also contribute to how you feel towards a book. Qualities such as the
texture of the pages and the weight of the book are as much part of a joyful
reading experience, and may even be the very reason you pick it up in the firstplace. Furthermore, a book will become even more special if you ‘dress it up’
with your favorite book cover or bookmarks. You’ll find yourself feeling cheeryand happy every time you pick up such a book.

Discovery of
DetailBooks are made with extreme dedication and attention to detail. For instance, anauthor may sneak in some clever references or even be the creator behind
intricate details on the book cover design. When you are able to spot such a
subtle but fascinating detail, you won’t be able to help but feel impressed.
Discovering traces of the authors’ passion/dedication can increase yourappreciation and respect of both the book and its author. Consequently, yourfondness for the book will grow even bigger.

Special Spot

As you grow your book collection, there is bound to be a book or two that
especially catches your heart. This could be a book that you received from afriend, a book signed by your favorite author, or simply a book that you have
loved growing up. A special book deserves a special place to be displayed. For
instance, you could put the book at the best place on your bookshelf, or put it
somewhere in you room as interior dé cor. Place your favorite book at a special
place, and you’ll find yourself smiling every time you catch sight of it.

Familiar
Bookstore

In order to enjoy reading, you must have opportunities to meet great books, andbookstores are one place where you can find them. If you’re able to find nicebookstores (one that suits your taste in books or one that has interestinglayout/displays) that you can visit from time to time, you’ll have a better chanceof meeting wonderful books. A reliable and comfortable bookstore will makesearching for books a delightful experience.

Bookstore
Roaming

A bookstore is not only simply a ‘place for buying books’; it is also a place where
you can explore. Gazing around bookshelves with many different books, eachwith its own character, is enjoyable in itself. By paying a visit to the bookstore,
you may get the chance to see which books are in season or even look at books
that are out of your usual interest. Noticing changes in the books featured on the
shelves, or meeting new unexpected books, are some of the fun parts of visiting abookstore. If you’re able to spot a book that catches your heart, you’ll findyourself wanting to add it to your collection.

Today’s
Buddy

One of the fun parts of reading is picking out which book to read. Similar to how
you pick out clothes to wear every day, you can also choose books to suit yourmood of the day. For instance, if you want to lift your spirits, pick up yourfavorite novel. If you’re feeling ambitious, pick up a book that challenges yourmind. The book that you choose will become your buddy for the day and keep
you company throughout the day.

Life with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 16

16

17

18

Reading
Race

Books can be topics of conversations. There may be times when you pick up abook to be able to discuss it with a bookworm friend, knowledgeable colleague,
respected teacher, etc. You’re sure to feel accomplished if you’re able to keep up
with some of the niche conversations that you wouldn’t have had before.
Discussing a book with others is as much of the fun as the reading experience
itself.

Book-Driven
Actions

When reading a book, there may be times when you are introduced to delicioussounding food or captivating places. By reading about them, you may feelencouraged to have a taste of a dish that shows up in the story, or visit a placefrom which the plot is based on. Try actually making that dish or paying a visit tothe book’s location; it will be an exciting experience where your world and thestory’s world overlap.

Life with
Reading

One of the fascinating things about books is they deliver works created by thosein the past to the present. Through reading, we are able to get in touch with afaraway world amidst our daily lives. This is possible because people’s ideas
have been captured and kept in the form of books over a long period of time.
When thinking about books in this way, you may feel that having that book inyour hands is a small miracle in itself. Getting to witness such a miracle is one of
the joys of living a life with reading.

A.3 Ideas for Creative Reading
No.

19

20

21

22

23

24

Pattern Name

Pattern Illustration

Pattern

Inspiration
for Creation

When creating or designing something, there may be times when you feel thatyour output lacks originality or depth. In such a case, flipping through books orreading some related passages could help inspire new ideas. Instead, of only
reading books for the sake of understanding the contents, use them as sourcesof inspiration that can give you ideas for projects you are working on.
Considering books as ‘Inspiration for Creation’ is one of the key ideas of Creative
Reading.

Writing Style
Abstraction

When working on a piece of writing, there may be times when you have adifficult time creating a certain mood in your work. In such a case, pick up abook with the tone/mood you are trying to create, and familiarize yourself withsuch a writing style before you begin the writing process. By immersing yourself
in the desired tone/mood beforehand, you will be able to express the feeling you
want to convey in your own writing better.

Source of
Courage

Undertaking creative activities often comes with obstacles and challenges;
however, you may not always be in the right mindset to overcome such difficult
situations. Reading can give you courage in those instances; the courageous
actions of the characters within a book, or the passion that you can feel from theauthor’s words can be turned into your own power and vitality. Books aretreasure houses of knowledge on overcoming difficulties and breaking new
ground and can be a ‘Source of Courage’ from time to time.

Alternate
Possibilities

It’s easy to take for granted the lives we live and the everyday situations we face.
However, such things are a build-up of small daily occurrences; it is possible thatyour life and/or environment could have been very different. Books allow you to
see a different world and stimulate your imagination of ‘Alternate Possibilities’.
By witnessing the stories of those with different lives/perspectives, you may beable to re-appreciate your current situation or get inspired to change youractions.

Book Design
Inspiration

A book is not only about what is written inside of it. It is comprised of a
combination of various other aspects such as the layout/cover design,illustrations/decorations, paper texture, etc. Therefore, apart from reading thecontents, one way to enjoy a book is to gain inspiration from its various design
aspects. While it might not be a good idea to judge a book by its cover, it cansometimes be a good reason to pick up a book.

Framework
for Thinking

When you are trying to understand something elusive, there is no need toapproach it single-handedly. Theories or frameworks from other domains thatcan be found in books, could be a useful ‘Framework for Thinking’ to help you
understand your topic. For instance, you could deepen your understanding oforganizational management while reading a book about an organism’s immune
system. By taking such an analogical approach, you will be able to perceive
things from a different angle than before.

Life with Reading - A Pattern Language for Creative Reading: Page - 17

25

26

27

Clues for
Creative
LivingEven if you are told, ‘we are entering an era of creativity’, you may be cluelessabout what to do if that is not the way you have been living before. Indeed, thetime in which every individual is encouraged to exhibit creativity has just begun;
however, many before us have lived in this way. By reading books written aboutsuch creative people, you will be able to gain hints on how to shape your way ofliving. Reading is, in other words, a way to gain ‘Clues for Creative Living’.

Movement of
the World

What sort of world do we live in? The news helps us keep up with what goes onin the world, but often times the news only shows prompt, short-term
information. Books can be used to gain an understanding of a mid to long-term
evolution or movement of the world. This can be done by not only reading books
but also by visiting bookstores and seeing what kinds of books are being
published/featured at that time. By observing the books that are in season overa period of time, you will be able to gain a sense of the ‘movement of the world’.

Pieces of the
FutureWhat will the future bring? That is one rhetorical question, which no one cananswer. However, it is also true that the future does not come out of nowhere; it
is, in fact, connected to the present. Therefore, one way to utilize reading is tolook for ‘Pieces of the Future’. Books can help you collect various ideas and hints,
which you can use to put together to create your own future vision. Taking suchan approach is the ultimate form of ‘Creative Reading’ and will be the base foryou to live your life creatively.

REFERENCES
Alexander, C., Ishikawa, S., Silverstein, M., Jacobson, M., Fiksdahl-King, I. and Angel, S. (1977) A Pattern Language: Towns,
Buildings, Construction, Oxford University Press. New York.
Iba, T. (2015) “Pattern Languages as Media for Creative Dialogue: Functional Analysis of Dialogue Workshops” in PURPLSOC:
The Workshop 2014, eds by Peter Baumgartner, Richard Sickinger, Berlin: epubli, pp.236-255.
Iba, T. (2016) “Sociological Perspective of the Creative Society” in Matth us P. Zylka, Hauke Fuehres, Andrea Fronzetti
Colladon, Peter A. Gloor (eds.), Designing Networks for Innovation and Improvisation, Springer International Publishing,pp.29-42.
Iba, T. Yoshikawa, A., Kaneko, T., Kimura, N., Kubota, T. (2016) “Pattern Objects: Making Patterns Visible in Daily Life”(Chapter 11) in Matthaus P. Zylka, Hauke Fuehres, Andrea Fronzetti Colladon, Peter A. Gloor (eds.), Designing Networks
for Innovation and Improvisation, Springer International Publishing, pp.105-112
Luhmann N. (1995), Social Systems, Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA.
Luhmann, N. (1989) Ecological Communication, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL.
Matsuoka, S. (2009) Tadokujutsu [How to Read Books A Lot], in Japanese Chikumashobo.
Murakami, H. (2015) Shokugyo Toshiteno Shosetsuka [Novelist as a profession], in Japanese, Switch Publishing.
Nitta, R., Murakami, W., Watanabe, Y., Iba, T. (2018) “Supporting Life with Reading: 9 Patterns from A Pattern Language forCreative Reading”. HILLSIDE Proc. of Conf. on Pattern Lang. of Prog. 25 (October 2018).

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