Design Patterns hav been a part of software engineering for nearly three decades. Ajax applications are a relatively new type of Web application that use client-side scripting languages in conjunction with methods for asynchronous data request to enable powerful application with rich, dynamic, user-oriented interfaces. This paper addresses the question of whether the design and architectural patters oftend used in other software fields are applicable and beneficial to Ajax development. Can the same patterns be applied? Are new patterns uniquely applicable? This paper attempts to answer these questions by examining 1) what design patterns are, 2) what Ajax is, and 3) how the former can be adapted to the latter. We find that many of the patterns popular in other realms have direct applicability to Ajax programming. We find also that there are opportunities for new types of patterns that are uniquely relevant to Ajax.