View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion | ![]() Architecture Architecture Decision Record | ![]() Facilitation Lean Coffee | ![]() Decision Making Argument Mapping | ![]() Facilitation World Café |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 group without a fixed agenda needs to get into useful conversations quickly, Lean Coffee structures the start around interests rather than a presentation. The group itself negotiates which topics get time first and which wait. | 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. | When a group needs to connect many viewpoints in a short time, World Café creates a calm alternation between closeness and rotation. It sets thinking in motion without forcing the conversation into full-plenary rigidity. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 30-90 min | 1-3 h | 60-180 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 3-20 | 1-8 | 12-100+ |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Prioritized Topics, Discussion Notes, Action Items | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Table Notes, Emergent Themes, Shared Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | FacilitationAutonomyDialogue | SensemakingDecisionRationale | FacilitationDialogueLarge groupSensemaking |



