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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Product Discovery Context Canvas |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 work processes are known only from accounts and the real context stays hidden, Contextual Inquiry makes behavior at the workplace visible. Observation and follow-up questions together show how people actually work, get interrupted, and improvise. | 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. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 1-3 Wochen | 45-90 min | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 3-10 | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Context canvas, Open questions, Shared context notes | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | UX researchObservationContext | ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |