View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture Request for Comments |  Facilitation Consensus Workshop |  Decision Making Decision Rights Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | In organizations with many stakeholders, it often blurs who actually decides and who is merely consulted. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Decision Rights matrix and an agreement. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 1-3 h | 90-180 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 3-20 Reviewer | 5-30 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas | Decision Rights Matrix, Agreement |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment | DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility |