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| Criterion |  Architecture arc42 |  Agile Mad Sad Glad |  Agile 4Ls Retrospective |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 a team's or workshop's mood needs to become readable, it structures emotional signals with little setup. It makes strain, relief, and sources of energy tangible. | When a sprint should not only be assessed but also learned from, it captures experience in clear learning categories. It records what worked, what's missing, and what should run differently next time. | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 30-60 min | 45–75 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 3-10 | Team members involved | 1-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Emotion Board, Themes, Action Items | 4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement Actions | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | RetrospectiveTeamReflection | RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |