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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Product Discovery Opportunity Solution Tree |  UX Research User Interviews |  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 discovery keeps swinging between goals, ideas, and learning loops, it creates clear steering logic. It connects the desired outcome, opportunities, and experiments into a legible structure. | When teams derive needs only from assumptions and real motives are missing, user interviews give direct access to behavior and meaning. Conversations from the target group's everyday life make patterns, tensions, and open questions solidly visible. | 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 | 1-2 h Setup, laufend | 30–60 min per interview | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 2-6 | 1 participant per interview | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Opportunity Solution Tree, Experiment Backlog, Learning Log | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | DiscoveryOutcomesExperimentsOpportunity | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |