The document provides an overview of design patterns, including what they are, why they are used, how to apply them, examples of common patterns, and an example application to expense reporting. Design patterns solve common programming problems by describing core solutions that can be reused in different situations, with the intent of increasing code reuse and flexibility. The document discusses several fundamental design patterns including creational, structural, and behavioral patterns, provides UML diagrams to illustrate the relationships between pattern participants, and gives a detailed example of how patterns could be applied to validate expense reports against business policies.