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Selected:Architecture Decision RecordContext CanvasAcceptance Criteria WorkshopSpecification by Example
| Criterion | ![]() Architecture Architecture Decision Record | ![]() Product Discovery Context Canvas | ![]() Agile Acceptance Criteria Workshop | ![]() Agile Specification by Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 an environment of users, systems, and constraints is hard to grasp, it puts the context compactly on the table. It creates a clear reading of influence, boundary, and dependency. | When a story needs clear checkpoints before implementation, it sharpens expectation and scope together. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as Acceptance Criteria and a Story Update. | When business rules need to become precise, it ties language, example, and test together. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as an Example Table and Acceptance Tests. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 45-90 min | 20-40 min pro Story | 60-90 min pro Feature |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 3-10 | 3-6 | 3-6 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Context canvas, Open questions, Shared context notes | Acceptance Criteria, Story Update | Example Table, Acceptance Tests |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas | AgileRequirementsRefinementBehavior-Driven Development | AgileRequirementsExamplesBehavior-Driven Development |



