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Criterion
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
Independent contributions form an ordered group priority list.
Facilitation
Nominal Group Technique
Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments
Paper illustration for Argument Mapping
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 loud voices could dominate a round, Nominal Group Technique protects individual thinking time from group effects. It collects ideas separately first and only then enables shared weighting.An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale.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
LowMediumMediumMedium
Timedifferent
15-45 min60-120 min1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung1-3 h
Participantsdifferent
1-35-123-20 Reviewer1-8
Formatdifferent
AsyncWorkshopAsyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
ADR File, Decision Log, RationaleRanked Ideas, Clarified Options, Group PriorityRFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or ticketsArgument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
FacilitationPrioritizationVotingInclusion
ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance
SensemakingDecisionRationale
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