Proto-Pattern Tracking

Candidates for formalization that need additional evidence before full pattern status.

Purpose: Track emerging practices that have been observed but not yet proven across multiple instances. Proto-patterns graduate to full patterns when they meet the evidence threshold (typically 2+ additional instances beyond initial observation).

Review cadence: Evaluated during 6-week pattern sweeps. Proto-patterns that meet evidence threshold get promoted; those with no new instances after two sweeps get archived.

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Active Proto-Patterns

PP-001: Design Archaeology

Observed: February 3, 2026 (Pattern Sweep 2.0, #777) Source: History sidebar design investigation (February 2, 2026) CIO Decision: Deferred to proto-pattern tracking (February 4, 2026) Elevation Criteria: 2+ additional instances before March 17, 2026 sweep

Description: When investigating a design question, conduct archaeological analysis of how the current design evolved before proposing changes. Examines commit history, omnibus logs, and decision records to understand why the current state exists — preventing accidental reversal of intentional decisions.

Known Instance:

1. History sidebar 404 investigation (#780) — discovered that sidebar design had evolved through 3 distinct phases, each responding to different user feedback. Without archaeology, the fix would have reverted to Phase 1 design.

What Would Make This a Pattern:

• Additional instances of design archaeology preventing regressions
• Evidence that skipping archaeology led to problems (negative instances)
• Distinct enough from Pattern-042 (Investigation-Only Protocol) to warrant separate documentation

Related Patterns:

• Pattern-042: Investigation-Only Protocol (investigation discipline, but not design-specific)
• Pattern-060: Cascade Investigation (investigation breadth, not historical depth)

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Archived Proto-Patterns

Proto-patterns that were not elevated after two sweep cycles.

Historical (Pre-Tracking)

The following were identified informally but never tracked with this mechanism:

• Primate in the Loop — Human oversight pattern (December 2025). Subsumed by existing patterns (006, 047).
• Small Scripts Win — Preference for small focused scripts (December 2025). Too general to be a pattern.
• Session Failure Conditions — Conditions that cause session failures (December 2025). Covered by STOP conditions in CLAUDE.md.

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Process

Adding a Proto-Pattern

1. Identify candidate during pattern sweep or ad-hoc observation
2. Verify it’s genuinely distinct from existing patterns (FALSE POSITIVE test)
3. Add entry to Active Proto-Patterns with: observation date, source, known instances, elevation criteria
4. Set review date (next scheduled sweep)

Elevating a Proto-Pattern

1. During pattern sweep, review active proto-patterns for new instances
2. If evidence threshold met: draft full pattern document, submit for CIO approval
3. Move entry from Active to the main pattern index
4. Remove from this file

Archiving a Proto-Pattern

1. If no new instances after two sweep cycles (~12 weeks), archive
2. Move to Archived section with brief explanation
3. Can be reactivated if new evidence surfaces

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Created: February 5, 2026 Per CIO assignment (memo-cio-pattern-sweep-response-2026-02-04)