| name | architecture-radar |
| description | Automated technology trend scanning and architecture pattern extraction for the Engineering department. Monitors open-source trends, framework releases, and architecture patterns. Evaluates applicability to orchestrator stack, produces adoption recommendations, and feeds the engineering self-improvement loop. Use when evaluating new technologies, scanning for architecture patterns, planning tech radar updates, or running the engineering UAOP pipeline. |
| risk | low |
| tags | ["engineering","architecture","research","trends"] |
| created | 2026-03-23T00:00:00.000Z |
| updated | 2026-03-23T00:00:00.000Z |
Architecture Radar — Engineering Intelligence Engine
Automated tech trend scanning that keeps the Engineering department ahead of the curve. UAOP Stage 1 for Engineering.
When to use
- Quarterly tech radar update
- Evaluating a new framework, library, or pattern
- Before major architecture decisions — "what's working elsewhere?"
- When a dependency is deprecated — "what's the replacement?"
- Sprint planning — "any new patterns that simplify what we're building?"
When NOT to use
- Implementing a specific pattern (use
clean-architecture-python or api-design-patterns)
- Security vulnerability scanning (use
threat-intelligence-feed)
- Performance profiling (use
production-monitoring)
Pipeline
Step 1: Scan Sources
SCAN TARGETS:
Package ecosystems:
- PyPI trending (Python): new releases for FastAPI, SQLAlchemy, Pydantic, pytest
- npm trending (Node): Next.js, Tailwind, shadcn/ui updates
- GitHub trending repos in Python/TypeScript (last 30 days)
Architecture blogs & reports:
- ThoughtWorks Technology Radar (quarterly)
- InfoQ architecture trends
- CNCF project maturity changes
- Martin Fowler's blog, Architecture Notes
Community signals:
- HackerNews top posts (AI, Python, infrastructure)
- Reddit r/python, r/devops, r/programming
- Conference talks (NeurIPS, KubeCon, PyCon)
Competitor tech:
- LangChain/CrewAI/AutoGen changelog and release notes
- How competitors solve problems we're facing
Step 2: Evaluate Applicability
For each trend/pattern discovered:
## Technology Evaluation: [Name]
**Category:** [Language/Framework/Pattern/Tool/Infrastructure]
**Maturity:** [Adopt/Trial/Assess/Hold] (ThoughtWorks terminology)
**Source:** [Where discovered, evidence grade A/B/C]
### What It Is
[One paragraph — what the technology does]
### Relevance to CoreMind
- Applicable to: [which components/services]
- Problem it solves: [specific CoreMind problem]
- Current solution: [what we use today]
- Improvement: [quantified if possible]
### Adoption Assessment
| Factor | Score (1-5) | Notes |
|--------|------------|-------|
| Problem fit | [X] | Does it solve a real CoreMind problem? |
| Maturity | [X] | Production-ready? Community support? |
| Migration cost | [X] | How hard to adopt? Breaking changes? |
| Team familiarity | [X] | Learning curve? |
| Maintenance burden | [X] | Long-term support outlook? |
| **Total** | [X/25] | Adopt if >18, Trial if >12, Assess if >8 |
### Recommendation
[ADOPT / TRIAL / ASSESS / HOLD] — [one sentence rationale]
Step 3: Produce Radar Report
# Architecture Radar — [Quarter] [Year]
## Summary
- Technologies scanned: [N]
- New recommendations: [N] Adopt, [N] Trial, [N] Assess, [N] Hold
## Adopt (Use in production)
[List with one-line rationale each]
## Trial (Prototype and evaluate)
[List]
## Assess (Research and monitor)
[List]
## Hold (Don't adopt, or phase out)
[List]
## Architecture Patterns Trending
| Pattern | Where Used | Applicability | Priority |
|---------|-----------|--------------|----------|
## Dependency Updates Due
| Package | Current | Latest | Breaking Changes | Priority |
|---------|---------|--------|-----------------|----------|
Step 4: Self-Improvement Loop
MEASURE:
- Adoption recommendations that improved quality/performance (hit rate)
- Technologies adopted that caused problems (miss rate)
- Time from trend detection to adoption decision
REINFORCE:
- Sources that produced high-hit-rate recommendations
- Evaluation criteria that predicted success
REGENERATE:
- Update scanning scope based on stack changes
- Adjust evaluation weights based on past adoption outcomes
Cadence
WEEKLY: Dependency update check (new versions, deprecations)
MONTHLY: Technology scan (trending repos, blog posts, releases)
QUARTERLY: Full radar report with adoption recommendations
Agents
| Agent | Role |
|---|
| system-architect (L1) | Owns architecture decisions, approves adoptions |
| architect (L1) | Evaluates patterns, assesses trade-offs |
| backend-architect (L2) | Python/FastAPI/DB technology evaluation |
| frontend-architect (L2) | Next.js/React/CSS technology evaluation |
| ai-engineer (L2) | LLM/agent framework evaluation |
| deep-research (L2) | Executes trend scanning |