Part 2: Core Design Patterns¶
Overview¶
You now understand what agents are and how they work. Now it's time to learn the patterns—the proven ways to structure and build agentic systems.
This section covers both foundational patterns (from industry leaders like Andrew Ng and Anthropic) and the consolidated 12-pattern framework used in production systems.
Key Patterns You'll Learn¶
| Pattern | Best For | Complexity |
|---|---|---|
| Reflection | Improving output quality | Low |
| Tool Use | Interacting with systems | Medium |
| Planning | Multi-step tasks | Medium |
| Routing | Directing to specialists | Medium |
| Parallelization | Independent subtasks | Medium |
| Orchestration | Multi-agent systems | High |
Chapter Files¶
- Andrew Ng'S 4 Patterns - Foundational taxonomy
- Anthropic'S 5 Workflows - Alternative framing
- 12 Core Patterns - Complete consolidated map
- Pattern Selection - How to choose patterns
Why Patterns Matter¶
Without patterns: You design each system from scratch
With patterns: You have proven solutions to common problems
Patterns are to agent development what design patterns are to software engineering.
Next: Start with Andrew Ng'S 4 Patterns¶
Last Updated: August 9, 2026