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| Criterion | ![]() Architecture arc42 | ![]() Knowledge Modeling Knowledge Mapping | ![]() Decision Making Assumption Surfacing | ![]() 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. | Knowledge Mapping makes knowledge, gaps, and transfer paths visible across a field. It fits when expertise should not just exist but also be findable and transferable. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 3-12 | 2-8 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Knowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer Plan | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | KnowledgeMappingRisk | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |



