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| Criterion |  Architecture arc42 |  Innovation SCAMPER |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Innovation Brainstorming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For an existing solution under pressure to change, the method deliberately opens space for systematic variants. It directs attention to rebuilding, combining, and repurposing rather than only new basic ideas. This produces concrete evolution paths for products, offerings, or workflows. | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | When a team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 30-60 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 2-10 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | SCAMPER Idea List, Concept Shortlist, Variation Notes | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityReframingInnovation | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence |