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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Product Discovery Test Card |
|---|---|---|---|
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. | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | The Test Card turns a critical assumption into a testable claim and specifies in advance which result counts as success. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 20-35 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-5 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Test Card with a pre-set threshold |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ExperimentsValidationDiscoveryHypothesis |
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