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| Criterion | ![]() Architecture Architecture Decision Record | ![]() Decision Making Argument Mapping | ![]() Innovation Round Robin Brainstorming | ![]() Innovation Lotus Blossom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | With unevenly distributed speaking time, the method brings every person into the contribution one after another. It prevents early voices from setting the direction while still producing a shared idea space. This makes participation plannable and the team's diversity visible. | When a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 1-3 h | 20-45 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 1-8 | 4-10 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Idea List, Cluster, Shortlist | Lotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | SensemakingDecisionRationale | BrainstormingIdeationFacilitationInclusionCreativity | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop |



