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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture C4 Model |  Product Discovery Test Card |  Product Discovery Fake Door Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. | The Test Card turns a critical assumption into a testable claim and specifies in advance which result counts as success. | When demand is still unclear, it measures interest in a feature before it is built. It separates real behavior from polite agreement and deliberately keeps build effort small. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 1-4 h | 20-35 min | 1-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 1-5 | 1-5 | Nutzertraffic |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Test Card with a pre-set threshold | Click Data, Interest Signal, Learning Decision |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | ExperimentsValidationDiscoveryHypothesis | ValidationExperimentsDemandDiscovery |