---
name: Diagrams - Operating Model Visual Reference
description: Index of all rendered diagrams that illustrate the operating model. Maps each PNG to its source anchor in OPERATING-MODEL.md or OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS.md. Two render styles ship in this kit: polished (warm/editorial vocabulary, foundational diagrams) and default (mermaid-cli output, working-reference diagrams).
type: reference-index
---

# Diagrams - Operating Model Visual Reference

- **Last reviewed:** 2026-05-04
- **Review cadence:** on-change (when source diagrams are added, removed, or restyled)
- **Status:** active

## What this directory is

Rendered visual reference for the operating model the kit teaches. Sources are Mermaid code blocks in `OPERATING-MODEL.md` (foundational taxonomy + process) and `OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS.md` (work patterns + persistence + roll-up). All diagrams are derived; nothing here is source-of-truth on its own.

Two subdirectories:

- **`polished/`** — Foundational diagrams (A and B series), styled with the kit's warm/editorial visual vocabulary via Gemini polish pass. Locked vocabulary; safe to use in deck production, stakeholder docs, external-facing material.
- **`default/`** — Working-reference diagrams (C, D, E, F series), rendered via `mmdc` (mermaid-cli) at 1600px in default Mermaid styling. Functional but not stylistically aligned to the polished vocabulary. Suitable for operator reference; may be promoted to polished/ in a future batch.

## Polished diagrams (foundational)

| Anchor | File | Source | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | [polished/A1.png](polished/A1.png) | OPERATING-MODEL §1.1 | Pod anatomy: layers L0-L7, governance, skills, classification, relationships |
| A2 | [polished/A2.png](polished/A2.png) | OPERATING-MODEL §1.2 | Pod composition recursion: Kit → Org → Function → Instance with mirror/fork callout |
| A3 | [polished/A3.png](polished/A3.png) | OPERATING-MODEL §1.3 | External integration surfaces: runtimes, substrates, org-local repo, regulatory |
| A4 | [polished/A4.png](polished/A4.png) | OPERATING-MODEL §1.4 | Behavior triggers catalog (twelve "when X, do Y" rules) |
| A5 | [polished/A5.png](polished/A5.png) | OPERATING-MODEL §1.5 | Failure modes catalog (seven named patterns with trigger + correction) |
| B1 | [polished/B1.png](polished/B1.png) | OPERATING-MODEL §2.1 | Phase state machine (Bootstrap → Discovery → Scaffold → Operate ↔ Rescaffold) |
| B2 | [polished/B2.png](polished/B2.png) | OPERATING-MODEL §2.2 | Discovery sub-loop (recursive question discipline) |
| B3 | [polished/B3.png](polished/B3.png) | OPERATING-MODEL §2.3 | Operate sub-loops (drain, ADR, log, validate, mirror sync, skill, lifecycle) |
| B4 | [polished/B4.png](polished/B4.png) | OPERATING-MODEL §2.4 | Rescaffold trigger taxonomy (six trigger families) |

## Default-styled diagrams (working reference)

| Anchor | File | Source | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | [default/C1-typical-operate-mode-session-single-operator.png](default/C1-typical-operate-mode-session-single-operator.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §C1 | Typical operate-mode session, single operator |
| C2 | [default/C2-typical-rescaffold-mode-session.png](default/C2-typical-rescaffold-mode-session.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §C2 | Typical rescaffold-mode session |
| C3 | [default/C3-discovery-follow-up-flow.png](default/C3-discovery-follow-up-flow.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §C3 | Discovery follow-up flow (single follow-up's lifecycle) |
| C4 | [default/C4-adr-write-on-decision-flow.png](default/C4-adr-write-on-decision-flow.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §C4 | ADR write-on-decision flow |
| C5 | [default/C5-inbox-drain-pattern.png](default/C5-inbox-drain-pattern.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §C5 | Inbox drain pattern |
| C6 | [default/C6-skill-authoring-refinement-pattern.png](default/C6-skill-authoring-refinement-pattern.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §C6 | Skill authoring + refinement pattern |
| C7 | [default/C7-cross-pod-handoff-runtime-envelope.png](default/C7-cross-pod-handoff-runtime-envelope.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §C7 | Cross-pod handoff (runtime envelope) |
| C8 | [default/C8-concurrent-session-lock-on-write.png](default/C8-concurrent-session-lock-on-write.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §C8 | Concurrent-session lock-on-write |
| D1 | [default/D1-persistence-map-by-layer.png](default/D1-persistence-map-by-layer.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §D1 | Persistence map by layer |
| D2 | [default/D2-persistence-map-by-runtime.png](default/D2-persistence-map-by-runtime.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §D2 | Persistence map by runtime |
| D3 | [default/D3-persistence-map-by-substrate.png](default/D3-persistence-map-by-substrate.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §D3 | Persistence map by substrate |
| D4 | [default/D4-durability-tier-diagram.png](default/D4-durability-tier-diagram.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §D4 | Durability tier diagram |
| E1 | [default/E1-respect-mechanism-overview.png](default/E1-respect-mechanism-overview.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §E1 | Persistence-respect mechanism overview |
| E2 | [default/E2-one-way-mirror-discipline-detail.png](default/E2-one-way-mirror-discipline-detail.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §E2 | One-way mirror discipline detail |
| E3 | [default/E3-inheritance-supersession-flow.png](default/E3-inheritance-supersession-flow.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §E3 | Inheritance + supersession flow |
| E4 | [default/E4-refusal-condition-map.png](default/E4-refusal-condition-map.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §E4 | Refusal-condition map |
| E5 | [default/E5-reproducibility-quadruple-enforcement-flow.png](default/E5-reproducibility-quadruple-enforcement-flow.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §E5 | Reproducibility-quadruple enforcement flow |
| F1 | [default/F1-decision-roll-up-adr-cascade.png](default/F1-decision-roll-up-adr-cascade.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §F1 | Decision roll-up (ADR cascade) |
| F2 | [default/F2-evidence-roll-up-maturity-scorecard-aggregation.png](default/F2-evidence-roll-up-maturity-scorecard-aggregation.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §F2 | Evidence roll-up (MATURITY-SCORECARD aggregation) |
| F3 | [default/F3-honest-unknowns-roll-up.png](default/F3-honest-unknowns-roll-up.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §F3 | Honest-unknowns roll-up |
| F4 | [default/F4-memory-promotion-hyperagent-specific-roll-up.png](default/F4-memory-promotion-hyperagent-specific-roll-up.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §F4 | Memory promotion (Hyperagent-specific roll-up) |
| F6 | [default/F6-trigger-cascade.png](default/F6-trigger-cascade.png) | OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS §F6 | Trigger cascade |

## Not yet rendered (decision-blocked or deferred)

| Anchor | Status | Blocker |
|---|---|---|
| C9 | DECISION-BLOCKED | ADR-ORG-substrate + ADR-ORG-format-target |
| F5 | DECISION-BLOCKED | ADR-ORG-pod-decomposition + first-wave function-pods |
| G1-G6 | DECISION-BLOCKED | Various ADR-ORG decisions per `brainstorming/visual-assets-checklist.md` §G |
| H1-H4 | SOURCE-PENDING | Reading aids; deferred until visual vocabulary established (now established; unblocked) |

## Render script

`render-script.py` extracts Mermaid code blocks from `OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS.md` and renders each to PNG via `mmdc` (mermaid-cli).

Usage:

```bash
cd diagrams/
python3 render-script.py
```

Outputs land in `default/` as `{section-id}-{slug}.png`. The script handles two Mermaid sequence-diagram quirks defensively (preprocess swaps `<br/>` → space and `;` → `,` in sequence diagrams). The source has been hand-fixed for the same quirks; preprocessing remains as defense-in-depth.

The polished diagrams (`polished/`) are produced by a separate Gemini polish pass against the foundational sources (`OPERATING-MODEL.md` §1-2). That pass is documented in the session log series and not run by this script.

## Visual vocabulary (locked)

Per ADR-0012 (visual vocabulary), the polished diagrams use:

- **Palette:** cream `#faf9f5`, ink `#141413`, signature warm orange `#d97757`, sage `#788c5d`, soft blue `#6a9bcc`, amber `#f57f17`, terracotta `#a04a2e`, muted red `#c44`, deep blue `#1976d2`
- **Typography:** Lora (serif body) + Poppins (sans headers); Mermaid uses Literata + Plus Jakarta Sans as nearest substitutes
- **Shapes / edges / theme:** see `brainstorming/operating-model-polished.md` §"Visual Vocabulary Legend"

Future polish batches inherit this vocabulary.

## Cross-references

- `OPERATING-MODEL.md` — source for A and B series
- `OPERATING-MODEL-PATTERNS.md` — source for C, D, E, F series
- `brainstorming/operating-model-polished.md` — Gemini-polished Mermaid source for polished/
- `brainstorming/visual-assets-checklist.md` — full punchlist of 43 assets across 8 categories
- `decisions/ADR-0012-visual-vocabulary-locked.md` — palette + typography decision
- `decisions/ADR-0013-mermaid-eraser-tool-fit.md` — which tool for which diagram type
