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| Criterion | ![]() Architecture Architecture Decision Record | ![]() Decision Making Argument Mapping | ![]() Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|
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. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 1-3 h | 45-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 1-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | SensemakingDecisionRationale | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation |
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