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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
A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
A paper-based illustration representing arc42 with its core stages and visible working result.
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.In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures.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.
Complexitysame
LowLowLow
Timedifferent
15-45 min20–45 min1-2 Tage
Participantsdifferent
1-3Small cross-functional group1-4
Formatdifferent
AsyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
ADR File, Decision Log, RationaleRisk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption logArchitecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
RiskDecisionFailurePlanning
ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication
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Often compared together

Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments
Architecture Communication Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Architecture Communication Canvas
Paper illustration for Argument Mapping
Decision Making
Argument Mapping
Paper illustration of an assumption matrix with prioritized test cards
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing