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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture Risk Storming |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Product Discovery Assumption 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. | Helps clarify architecture context, options, and consequences in concrete terms. It organizes technical context, alternatives, and consequences. The result is captured as an Annotated Diagram, a Prioritized Risk List, and an Action Backlog. | When a lot is assumed about a target group but little is seen jointly, empathy mapping makes knowledge and gaps directly comparable. The picture also shows which assumptions hold up and where evidence is missing. | When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 60-90 min | 30–60 min | 45-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 4-12 | 4-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Annotated Diagram, Prioritized Risk List, Action Backlog | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | RiskArchitectureWorkshopValidation | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation |