Abstract: Apparatus for evaluating a design includes a memory for storing data representing a current design for the device; a host processor connected to the memory and having a change input for receiving an input signal representing a change in the design, an event output for generating an event signal representing at least that a change has occurred; a plurality of advisors, each advisor having an event input for receiving the event signal; a data input connected to the memory, an advisor processor for generating scoring signals representing a selected quality of the design, and presenting the scoring signal to an advisor scoring output; an advisor backplane connected between the host processor and the advisors, the advisor backplane having an event input coupled to the host processor for receiving event signals, an event output coupled to the advisors' event inputs, and a scoring input connected to the advisors' scoring outputs for receiving the scoring signals from the advisors and for combining the scores for gen