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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  UX Research Card Sorting |  UX Research Tree Testing |  Architecture Views and Beyond |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations. | When a navigation exists but search paths still fail, tree testing checks findability without visual distraction. The method shows whether labels, levels, and paths really lead to the intended destination. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 20-45 min | 1-2 Tage | 1-3 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | Based on research question | Based on research question | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | Information architectureNavigationStructure | Information architectureNavigationFindability | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture |