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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
Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments
A paper-based illustration representing Brainstorming with its core stages and visible working result.
Innovation
Brainstorming
Paper illustration of the Lotus Blossom working structure.
Innovation
Lotus Blossom
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.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 a team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development.When a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumLowLow
Timedifferent
15-45 min1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung30-60 min45-90 min
Participantsdifferent
1-33-20 Reviewer4-123-10
Formatdifferent
AsyncAsyncWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
ADR File, Decision Log, RationaleRFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or ticketsIdea pool, Theme clusters, ShortlistLotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance
BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence
BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop
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