Since the invention of Object Oriented Programming, its philosophy has become exceedingly popular among the programming community and has had a wide spread acceptance in the technology world.  Although OOP has become largely popular, it has spawned some repeated design problems with its continuous use.  There was a need for rectifying these recurring problems in software designs.  The need of the hour was a solution for these common problems.  The use of design patterns has been a significant improvement in Object Oriented Design (OOD) and facilitates the design and development of high quality, maintainable software at a much faster rate and at a lower cost.  Design Patterns are the proven and best solution to the common problems and increasing complexities involved in software development life cycles.  One of the most important factors that determine the efficiency of a software design is its adaptability to change.  My intent in authoring this article is to provide the readers an overview of Design Patterns, their applicability and the common pitfalls of improper usage or application of these design patterns in software designs.