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Criterion
A paper-based illustration representing arc42 with its core stages and visible working result.
Architecture
arc42
Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments
Paper illustration of the Consensus Workshop working structure.
Facilitation
Consensus Workshop
Paper illustration of the Lightning Decision Jam working structure.
Facilitation
Decision Jam
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.An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale.When a group needs a solid decision without outvoting individual factions, a Consensus Workshop creates a negotiable common ground. It makes agreement, reservations, and open tensions discussable at the same time.When a decision is stuck, Decision Jam loosens the knot through structured separation of problem, idea, and selection. The format creates movement without jumping prematurely at the first seemingly elegant answer.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumMediumLow
Timedifferent
1-2 Tage1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung1-3 h60-90 min
Participantsdifferent
1-43-20 Reviewer5-304-10
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncAsyncWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment ViewRFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or ticketsConsensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority AreasProblem Cluster, Prioritized Challenge, Experiment
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication
ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance
FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment
FacilitationDecisionProblem solvingWorkshop
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