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Selected:Architecture Decision RecordCounter MetricsSoftware Architecture CanvasGoal Question Metric
| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Product Strategy Counter Metrics |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Engineering Goal Question Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 a headline metric could mask side effects, it adds guardrail signals against unwanted outcomes. It connects customer value, product logic, and decision priorities. The result is captured as a counter-metric list and guardrail definitions. | The Software Architecture Canvas reduces a system to the most important architecture decisions, constraints, and interfaces. It is useful when teams need a resilient overall picture quickly. | Helps clarify technical problems, hypotheses, and next steps in concrete terms. It breaks a technical problem into testable parts. The result is captured as a GQM table and metric briefs. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 30-60 min | 1-2 h | 90-180 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 2-6 | 3-10 | 3-6 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Counter Metric List, Guardrail Definitions | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | GQM Table, Metric Profiles |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | MetricsMeasurementStrategyExperiments | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | MetricsMeasurementEngineeringAlignment |