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Criterion
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)
Paper illustration for DACI
Decision Making
DACI
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.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.In cross-functional decisions, responsibilities quickly blur between approval, influence, and execution. DACI arranges these roles so decision pressure, contribution, and information stay cleanly separated.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumLow
Timedifferent
1-2 Tage2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional30-60 min
Participantsdifferent
1-4Designers, developers as users, and facilitation2-10
Formatsame
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment ViewPrioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisionsDACI Matrix, Decision Owner, Decision Log
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication
ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks
DecisionRolesGovernanceAlignment
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

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 Decision Rights Mapping with its method-specific working model.
Decision Making
Decision Rights Mapping
Paper illustration for RAPID
Decision Making
RAPID
Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments