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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | 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. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 1-4 h | 1-2 Tage | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-8 | 1-4 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas |