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| Criterion |  Architecture arc42 |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  UX Research User Interviews |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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 teams derive needs only from assumptions and real motives are missing, user interviews give direct access to behavior and meaning. Conversations from the target group's everyday life make patterns, tensions, and open questions solidly visible. | 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. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 45–90 min | 30–60 min per interview | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 3-10 | 1 participant per interview | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |