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Criterion
A paper-based illustration representing arc42 with its core stages and visible working result.
Architecture
arc42
Paper illustration for Alignment Mapping.
Facilitation
Alignment Mapping
A paper-based illustration representing Brainstorming with its core stages and visible working result.
Innovation
Brainstorming
Paper illustration of the Lotus Blossom working structure.
Innovation
Lotus Blossom
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 several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable.When a team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development.When a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumLowLow
Timedifferent
1-2 Tage1-2 h30-60 min45-90 min
Participantsdifferent
1-44-124-123-10
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment ViewAlignment Map, Open Issues, Decision QuestionsIdea pool, Theme clusters, ShortlistLotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication
AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation
BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence
BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop
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