You’ve been in this exclusive relationship with Page Object Model (POM) for years now. At first, it was beautiful—organizing your UI interactions, separating concerns, making your code cleaner. But lately, things have gotten… complicated. Your framework has grown bloated. Maintenance is becoming a nightmare. And deep down, you know there might be better options out there.

It’s time we talk about seeing other design patterns.

Don’t get me wrong—POM isn’t bad. It’s like that reliable partner who’s great at one thing (organizing UI elements) but somehow became your entire personality. Meanwhile, there’s a whole world of design patterns waiting to solve specific problems in your automation framework that POM simply wasn’t designed to handle.

The Great Misconception: “I Already Have a Pattern!”

Before we dive into alternatives, let’s clear something up that confuses even seasoned automation engineers:

Data-Driven, Keyword-Driven, BDD, and Hybrid approaches are NOT design patterns.

These are testing methodologies or frameworks—broader strategies for structuring your testing approach. They can (and should) be used alongside proper design patterns. It’s like saying “I exercise” when someone asks about your specific workout routine. Great, but how do you exercise?

3 Design Patterns That Deserve Your Attention (Plus a Bonus)

1. Factory Pattern: The Matchmaker of Test Automation

What it is: A specialized class responsible for creating objects so your tests don’t have to worry about the messy details.

Real-world analogy: It’s like having a personal assistant who handles all the preparation work so you can focus on the important stuff. Need a Chrome browser in headless mode with specific settings? Your factory handles that for you.

Why You’ll Fall in Love:

• Centralized control: Keep all object creation logic in one place, making changes a breeze
• Consistency guarantee: Every WebDriver or Page Object is created the same way, every time
• Easy scaling: Need to support a new browser or device? Update one place, not hundreds of tests

Code That Speaks for Itself:

// Before: Scattered throughout your tests
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
driver.manage().window().maximize();
driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
// Repeated in dozens of test classes with slight variations

// After: Clean, consistent, centralized
WebDriver driver = DriverFactory.createDriver("chrome");
// All setup details handled inside the factory

Real Success Story:

A fintech company I worked with reduced their test maintenance overhead by 40% after implementing a driver factory. When they needed to add support for edge mobile testing, they only had to update a single class instead of modifying 200+ tests.

2. Builder Pattern: The Architect of Test Data

What it is: A step-by-step approach to constructing complex objects without messy constructors or setters.

Real-world analogy: It’s like a custom sandwich shop where you specify exactly what you want, one ingredient at a time, and only what you need.

Why You’ll Be Impressed:

• Stunning readability: No more constructors with 15 parameters where half are null
• Flexibility without complexity: Set only the properties you care about for each test case
• Test intent clarity: Your test data construction clearly communicates what’s important

Code That Makes You Smile:

// Before: Confusing and brittle
User user = new User("Khalid", "Imran", "123 Main St", null, "Mumbai", 
                    "400001", "India", "khalid@example.com", "Admin", 
                    true, new Date(), null, "ACTIVE");

// After: Clear, fluent, and intentional
User user = new UserBuilder()
    .withFirstName("Khalid")
    .withLastName("Imran")
    .withEmail("khalid@example.com")
    .withRole("Admin")
    .withStatus("ACTIVE")
    .build();

Real Success Story:

An e-commerce platform’s test suite used the Builder pattern to handle their complex product configurations. When their data model changed to include 12 new product attributes, not a single test broke because they only specified the attributes they cared about.

3. Dependency Injection: The Relationship Counselor

What it is: A pattern where dependencies are provided to your classes rather than created inside them.

Real-world analogy: Instead of building your own tools for every job, someone hands you exactly what you need when you need it.

Why It’s Worth the Effort:

• Clear separation of concerns: Tests focus on testing, not on creating dependencies
• Simplified test setup: Dependencies magically appear where needed
• Easier mocking for unit tests: Swap real dependencies with test doubles effortlessly

Code That Changes Everything:

// Before: Tight coupling and hidden dependencies
public class CheckoutTest {
    private WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
    private CartPage cartPage = new CartPage(driver);
    private CheckoutPage checkoutPage = new CheckoutPage(driver);
    
    @Test
    public void testCheckout() {
        // Test implementation
    }
}

// After: Clear dependencies, easier to maintain and test
public class CheckoutTest {
    private final WebDriver driver;
    private final CartPage cartPage;
    private final CheckoutPage checkoutPage;
    
    @Inject // Or @Autowired in Spring
    public CheckoutTest(WebDriver driver, CartPage cartPage, CheckoutPage checkoutPage) {
        this.driver = driver;
        this.cartPage = cartPage;
        this.checkoutPage = checkoutPage;
    }
    
    @Test
    public void testCheckout() {
        // Test implementation focused on behavior, not setup
    }
}

Real Success Story:

A healthcare application’s test suite was completely rewritten with dependency injection. When they needed to switch from local testing to a cloud-based grid, they only had to update their DI configuration—not a single test required modification.

BONUS: Screenplay Pattern: The Storyteller

What it is: A behavior-driven pattern that structures tests around Actors (who), Tasks (what), and Interactions (how).

Real-world analogy: It’s like writing a movie script where you focus on what the characters do, not the technical details of how the camera should move.

Why It’s Revolutionary:

• Business language in code: Tests read like user stories or requirements
• Reusable components: Tasks and interactions become a library of user behaviors
• Perfect for complex workflows: Multi-step processes become clear narratives

Code That Tells a Story:

// Before: Technical and hard to follow
driver.findElement(By.id("search")).sendKeys("laptop");
driver.findElement(By.id("search-button")).click();
driver.findElement(By.xpath("//div[contains(@class,'product')][1]")).click();
driver.findElement(By.id("add-to-cart")).click();
driver.findElement(By.id("checkout")).click();

// After: Clear narrative anyone can understand
Actor customer = Actor.named("Priya");
customer.attemptsTo(
    Search.forProduct("laptop"),
    Select.firstProductFromResults(),
    Add.selectedProductToCart(),
    Proceed.toCheckout()
);

Real Success Story:

A banking application test suite was rewritten using the Screenplay pattern. Business analysts and product owners could actually read and understand the test code, which led to better collaboration and more precise test coverage aligned with real user journeys.

Making the Switch: A Practical Guide

Convinced you need to diversify your design pattern portfolio? Here’s how to get started:

1. Don’t rewrite everything at once. Start with a small, isolated part of your framework
2. Pick the pattern that solves your biggest pain point. Struggling with complex test data? Try Builder. Configuration nightmares? Factory pattern might be your answer
3. Create a working example to demonstrate the benefits to your team
4. Set clear standards so everyone implements the pattern consistently
5. Iterate and expand as you see real benefits

The Bottom Line: Pattern Polyamory is OK

The best test automation frameworks aren’t loyal to a single design pattern. They use:

• POM for organizing UI interactions
• Factory Pattern for creating objects consistently
• Builder Pattern for constructing complex test data
• Dependency Injection for managing dependencies
• Screenplay Pattern for expressing complex user workflows

Remember: Design patterns are tools to solve specific problems. You wouldn’t use a hammer for every home repair job, so why use POM for every test automation challenge?

Your Turn to Share

Which design pattern beyond POM has transformed your automation framework? Have you successfully implemented any of these patterns, and what benefits did you see? Drop your experiences in the comments!

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About the Author

Khalid Imran leads the Intelligent Test Automation practice at Zimetrics, specializing in connected ecosystem validation across healthcare, IoT, and consumer electronics industries.