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| Criterion | ![]() Architecture Architecture Decision Record | ![]() Facilitation Mind Mapping | ![]() Facilitation Alignment Mapping | ![]() Facilitation Stakeholder Salience Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 topic is still unclear and too many thoughts surface at once, Mind Mapping creates an open surface for ordering them. It makes connections, subtopics, and starting points visible without fixing them too early. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. | When stakeholders appear to matter very differently, the Stakeholder Salience Model rates their actual priority through power, legitimacy, and urgency. It turns individual contributions into a visible selection. The result is captured as a Salience diagram and a class-based strategy. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 15-45 min | 1-2 h | 60-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 1-10 | 4-12 | 3-6 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Salience Diagram, Strategy per Class |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | StakeholdersFacilitationAlignmentGovernance |



