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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Product Discovery Context Canvas |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|
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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 45-90 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 3-10 | 1-8 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Context canvas, Open questions, Shared context notes | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas | SensemakingDecisionRationale |
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