Why Test Automation Needs Design Patterns

Good test automation stands on design that treats test code like product code. Patterns such as Page Object cut duplication and make flows clear. Builder shapes test data and keeps intent readable. Facade hides tool noise and offers a simple entry point. Driver pools can speed suites, yet must not leak state. Simple rules matter: DRY, KISS, and YAGNI hold teams back from gold plating. Tool choice follows context, not trend.

Podcast Episode: Why Test Automation Needs Design Patterns

In this episode, I talk with Kostiantyn Teltov about design patterns in test automation. Kosta shows why test code needs the same care as product code. Page Object to cut duplication. Builder to shape data like choosing a burger. Facade as a reception that guides you to the right service. We touch creational patterns and even pools for drivers. DRY, KISS, and YAGNI keep us honest and stop overdesign.

"And this is probably the most common way when you build UI test automation framework to use Page Object design pattern. Doesn't matter what programming language, what test automation framework. It's just a common thing." - Kostiantyn Teltov

Kostiantyn Teltov was born in Dnipro, Ukraine, and lives in Kraków, Poland, for the past three years.

He has been working in software testing since 2008 and writing code for over 11 years.His technical background includes C#, Java, JavaScript/TypeScript, and Python, and he can speak four languages — though not all my programming and speaking languages are equally good ;-)He is a strong advocate of the Shift-Left testing mindset and the Testing Pyramid approach.

He is passionate about mentoring and educating others, especially in Test Automation.In the past, he has lectured IT courses. Today he speaks at webinars, meetups and perform workshops, and regularly write articles on Medium.

Currently, he works as a QA Lead at Metso, managing five projects and focusing on building QA processes and automation frameworks with limited QA resources.

Highlights der Episode

• Test code deserves same engineering standards as product code
• Page Object pattern reduces duplication in UI tests
• Builder pattern simplifies test data setup
• DRY, KISS, and YAGNI prevent overdesign in automation
• Share patterns in the team to grow testing skills

Building Strong Foundations in Test Automation: Design Patterns, Principles, and Practical Insights

In the latest episode of "Software Testing Unleashed," Richie sits down with Kostiantyn Teltov, a seasoned software testing professional, to discuss a topic every test automation engineer should care about: applying design patterns to test automation code. Unlike production code, test automation frameworks are often seen as second-class citizens—but they shouldn't be. As Kostiantyn Teltov explains, treating your test code with the same respect as application code is critical for scale, collaboration, and maintainability.

Why Design Patterns Matter for Test Automation

Design patterns are well-established solutions to common software design problems. For test automation, they’re much more than an academic exercise. Kostiantyn Teltov points out four persuasive reasons for using them:

1. Proven Solutions: Patterns prevent reinventing the wheel. Reusing established solutions means you build on lessons already learned by others.

2. Supporting OOP Principles: Patterns help prevent "spaghetti code"—which, as Kostiantyn Teltov humorously mentions, "is good for eating, but not writing."

3. Common Language: Sharing a vocabulary helps teams discuss and solve problems efficiently. "You can tell your teammate to use a builder or singleton," Kostiantyn Teltov remarks.

4. Extensibility and Maintainability: As your framework grows, using patterns makes it easier for others to extend and maintain—even if the original designer has left.

The Most Useful Patterns in Test Automation

Most newcomers learn about the Page Object pattern first, and for good reason. It encapsulates all the page’s selectors and actions in one place, slashing duplicated code and clarifying intent. But it doesn’t stop there.

Kostiantyn Teltov highlights a few favorites:

• Builder Pattern: Separates the creation of complex objects from their representation. It’s like ordering a custom burger—you can easily assemble what you need. This improves test readability and composability.

• Facade Pattern: Acts like a ‘receptionist’ class, providing a simple API that hides multiple complex or repetitive initialization steps. For example, one Facade class can handle switching between different test actions, resources, or page flows.

• Object Pool Pattern: Particularly useful for resource-intensive objects like browser drivers. Instead of constantly creating and destroying these resources, the pool manages their lifecycle for performance and reliability.

While there are many design patterns, Kostiantyn Teltov encourages engineers to choose what fits the problem best—don’t add complexity just for the sake of it.

Principles: DRY, KISS, and More

Patterns are only part of the puzzle. Test automation also benefits from classic software engineering principles:

• DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself): Extract common code (like selectors or assertions) to shared modules or helpers.

• KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid): Don’t overcomplicate your framework. You're building a test solution, not a full production system. Build only what you need for today's requirements—avoid adding unused helpers or abstractions.

And, as Kostiantyn Teltov puts it, "You aren't gonna need it" (YAGNI) is an equally pragmatic reminder: don't over-engineer features your team doesn't use.

Design Patterns and AI-Generated Code

Can AI help in generating design-pattern-rich test code? Kostiantyn Teltov says it's possible—if you give the right prompts. AI tools, like ChatGPT, respond to context. However, validating their output remains crucial. As he shares from a workshop experience, sometimes AI-generated solutions are "overcomplicated or not what you expect" and still require an engineer's supervision.

How to Learn More

Keen to start? Kostiantyn Teltov recommends classic resources:

• "Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software" (Gang of Four)

• Online: Refactoring Guru, YouTube tutorials, LinkedIn Learning, Udemy

• Peer Learning: Organize sessions and code reviews with your team

Communities and internal guilds can help push learning forward, as Kostiantyn Teltov describes with his own QA community at work.

Test automation code deserves the same structured thinking as any other software. Making conscious choices about design patterns and principles today will save your team from headaches tomorrow. It’s not just for C#, Java, or Python—every test language can benefit. As Kostiantyn Teltov jests, "Otherwise your code looks like spaghetti. Let’s eat spaghetti in Italy, not write it in code!"