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Criterion
Affinity Diagramming
UX Research
Affinity Diagramming
A paper-based illustration representing arc42 with its core stages and visible working result.
Architecture
arc42
Design sheets and interface cards connect to jointly written pseudocode with highlighted unresolved questions.
Architecture
ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)
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.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.ARID examines how well developers can work with a technical design. It focuses on a part of the system that can still be revised, between the architecture overview and the detailed specification.
Complexitydifferent
LowLowMedium
Timedifferent
45–90 min1-2 Tage2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional
Participantsdifferent
3-101-4Designers, developers as users, and facilitation
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areasArchitecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment ViewPrioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions
Tagsno overlap
SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause
ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication
ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks
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Architecture Communication Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Architecture Communication Canvas
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
A paper-based illustration representing C4 Model with its core stages and visible working result.
Architecture
C4 Model
Empathy Mapping
UX Research
Empathy Mapping