Creational patterns are design patterns that focus on the process of object creation in software development. They help manage the complexities of creating objects in a way that enhances flexibility and reuse. Common examples include the Singleton, Factory Method, and Builder patterns, each serving different needs in object creation. These patterns provide solutions to common problems, such as ensuring a class has only one instance (Singleton) or allowing a class to delegate the responsibility of instantiation to subclasses (Factory Method). By using creational patterns, developers can create more maintainable and scalable code.