View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture arc42 |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |  Growth A/B Testing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | When demand only needs to be roughly verified, it tests interest with minimal effort. It measures whether people would take a next step at all. | When two variants compete, discussions quickly decide by taste rather than effect. A/B Testing checks behavior under controlled conditions and separates real improvement from chance or expectation effects. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 1-2 Tage | 1-5 Tage | 1-4 Wochen |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 1-4 | Nutzertraffic | 1-6 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | Experiment results, Decision log, Learning summary |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | ExperimentsGrowthAnalyticsValidation |