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Criterion
Affinity Diagramming
UX Research
Affinity Diagramming
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 a Test Card with four fields for hypothesis, test, metric, and success threshold.
Product Discovery
Test Card
Paper illustration of a Learning Card with four fields for hypothesis, observation, insight, and action.
Product Discovery
Learning Card
Purposedifferent
When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer.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.The Test Card turns a critical assumption into a testable claim and specifies in advance which result counts as success.The Learning Card connects traceable test results to a reasoned next action while keeping the limits of the insight visible.
Complexitysame
LowLowLowLow
Timedifferent
45–90 min15-45 min20-35 min25-40 min
Participantsdifferent
3-101-31-51-5
Formatdifferent
WorkshopAsyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areasADR File, Decision Log, RationaleTest Card with a pre-set thresholdLearning Card with evidence and next action
Tagsno overlap
SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
ExperimentsValidationDiscoveryHypothesis
ExperimentsValidationDiscoveryLearning
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