# Agent Design Pattern Catalogue: A Collection of Architectural Patterns for Foundation Model based Agents

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.10467 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.10467/

## Key facts

- Cited by 35 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use.
- Builds on 55 of its 77 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 16 May 2024.

## Placed in

- LLM agents and tool use / [General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks](https://mlsanity.com/agents/general-llm-agent-frameworks-and-benchmarks/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 55)

- [GPT-4 Technical Report](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.08774/) (2023)
- [Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.11903/) (2022)
- [Reflexion: Language Agents with Verbal Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.11366/) (2023)
- [On the Opportunities and Risks of Foundation Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.07258/) (2021)
- [Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.03442/) (2023)
- [Tree of Thoughts: Deliberate Problem Solving with Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.10601/) (2023)
- [A Survey on Large Language Model based Autonomous Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.11432/) (2023)
- [Voyager: An Open-Ended Embodied Agent with Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.16291/) (2023)
- [MetaGPT: Meta Programming for A Multi-Agent Collaborative Framework](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.00352/) (2023)
- [Improving Factuality and Reasoning in Language Models through Multiagent Debate](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.14325/) (2023)
- [SWE-agent: Agent-Computer Interfaces Enable Automated Software Engineering](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.15793/) (2024)
- [World Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1803.10122/) (2018)
- [MemGPT: Towards LLMs as Operating Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.08560/) (2023)
- [Llama Guard: LLM-based Input-Output Safeguard for Human-AI Conversations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.06674/) (2023)
- [HuggingGPT: Solving AI Tasks with ChatGPT and its Friends in Hugging Face](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.17580/) (2023)
- [Inner Monologue: Embodied Reasoning through Planning with Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.05608/) (2022)
- [Encouraging Divergent Thinking in Large Language Models through Multi-Agent Debate](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.19118/) (2023)
- [ExpeL: LLM Agents Are Experiential Learners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.10144/) (2023)
- [ChatEval: Towards Better LLM-based Evaluators through Multi-Agent Debate](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.07201/) (2023)
- [Large Language Models Can Self-Improve](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.11610/) (2022)
- [Plan-and-Solve Prompting: Improving Zero-Shot Chain-of-Thought Reasoning by Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.04091/) (2023)
- [Underspecification Presents Challenges for Credibility in Modern Machine Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2011.03395/) (2020)
- [NeMo Guardrails: A Toolkit for Controllable and Safe LLM Applications with Programmable Rails](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.10501/) (2023)
- [Multi-Agent Collaboration: Harnessing the Power of Intelligent LLM Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.03314/) (2023)
- [MedAgents: Large Language Models as Collaborators for Zero-shot Medical Reasoning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.10537/) (2023)
- [Foundational Challenges in Assuring Alignment and Safety of Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.09932/) (2024)
- [Corrective Retrieval Augmented Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.15884/) (2024)
- [ReWOO: Decoupling Reasoning from Observations for Efficient Augmented Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.18323/) (2023)
- [More Agents Is All You Need](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.05120/) (2024)
- [SMART-LLM: Smart Multi-Agent Robot Task Planning using Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.10062/) (2023)

## Built on by (most cited first, 30 of 35)

- [Magentic-One: A Generalist Multi-Agent System for Solving Complex Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.04468/) (2024)
- [Large Language Model-Based Agents for Software Engineering: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.02977/) (2024)
- [From LLM Reasoning to Autonomous AI Agents: A Comprehensive Review](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.19678/) (2025)
- [HoneyComb: A Flexible LLM-Based Agent System for Materials Science](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.00135/) (2024)
- [AgentOps: Enabling Observability of LLM Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.05285/) (2024)
- [Magentic-UI: Towards Human-in-the-loop Agentic Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.22358/) (2025)
- [AgentMisalignment: Measuring the Propensity for Misaligned Behaviour in LLM-Based Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.04018/) (2025)
- [Personalized Attacks of Social Engineering in Multi-turn Conversations: LLM Agents for Simulation and Detection](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.15552/) (2025)
- [Agentic Visualization: Extracting Agent-based Design Patterns from Visualization Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.19101/) (2025)
- [AgentTrace: A Structured Logging Framework for Agent System Observability](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.10133/) (2026)
- [PerspectiveGap: A Benchmark for Multi-Agent Orchestration Prompting](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.08878/) (2026)
- [SWEnergy: An Empirical Study on Energy Efficiency in Agentic Issue Resolution Frameworks with SLMs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.09543/) (2025)
- [A Taxonomy of Architecture Options for Foundation Model-based Agents: Analysis and Decision Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.02920/) (2024)
- [Using LLMs in Generating Design Rationale for Software Architecture Decisions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.20781/) (2025)
- [Toward Architecture-Aware Evaluation Metrics for LLM Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.19583/) (2026)
- [Agentic Design Patterns: A System-Theoretic Framework](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.19752/) (2026)
- [Towards Modeling Human-Agentic Collaborative Workflows: A BPMN Extension](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.05958/) (2024)
- [Ontology- and LLM-based Data Harmonization for Federated Learning in Healthcare](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.20020/) (2025)
- [Designing LLM-based Multi-Agent Systems for Software Engineering Tasks: Quality Attributes, Design Patterns and Rationale](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.08475/) (2025)
- [Integrating ESG and AI: A Comprehensive Responsible AI Assessment Framework](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.00965/) (2024)
- [Responsible AI Question Bank: A Comprehensive Tool for AI Risk Assessment](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.11820/) (2024)
- [Interpreting Agentic Systems: Beyond Model Explanations to System-Level Accountability](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.17168/) (2026)
- [A Two-Dimensional Framework for AI Agent Design Patterns: Cognitive Function and Execution Topology](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.13850/) (2026)
- [A Layered Architecture for Developing and Enhancing Capabilities in Large Language Model-based Software Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.12357/) (2024)
- [Will Agents Replace Us? Perceptions of Autonomous Multi-Agent AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.02055/) (2025)
- [A Reference Architecture for Agentic Hybrid Retrieval in Dataset Search](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.16394/) (2026)
- [Odyssey: Constructing Verifiable Local Truth-Preserving Foundation Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.27593/) (2026)
- [What makes prompts a graph: necessary and sufficient conditions for prompt graph engineering](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.27578/) (2026)
- [Allen: Rethinking MAS Design through Step-Level Policy Autonomy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.11294/) (2025)
- [Is the `Agent' Paradigm a Limiting Framework for Next-Generation Intelligent Systems?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.10875/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Foundation model-enabled generative artificial intelligence facilitates the development and implementation of agents, which can leverage distinguished reasoning and language processing capabilities to takes a proactive, autonomous role to pursue users' goals. Nevertheless, there is a lack of systematic knowledge to guide practitioners in designing the agents considering challenges of goal-seeking (including generating instrumental goals and plans), such as hallucinations inherent in foundation models, explainability of reasoning process, complex accountability, etc. To address this issue, we have performed a systematic literature review to understand the state-of-the-art foundation model-based agents and the broader ecosystem. In this paper, we present a pattern catalogue consisting of 18 architectural patterns with analyses of the context, forces, and trade-offs as the outcomes from the previous literature review. We propose a decision model for selecting the patterns. The proposed catalogue can provide holistic guidance for the effective use of patterns, and support the architecture design of foundation model-based agents by facilitating goal-seeking and plan generation.