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Selected:arc42System Dynamics SimulationCausal Loop DiagramARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)
| Criterion |  Architecture arc42 |  Systems Thinking System Dynamics Simulation |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |  Architecture ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | System Dynamics Simulation makes assumptions about time, delay, and feedback testable through experiments. It draws relationships, patterns, and feedback loops. The result is captured as a simulation model and scenario reports. | A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations. | ARID examines how well developers can work with a technical design. It focuses on a part of the system that can still be revised, between the architecture overview and the detailed specification. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | Mehrere Tage bis Wochen | 1-3 h | 2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 1-5 Modellierende, Stakeholder asynchron | 2-8 | Designers, developers as users, and facilitation |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Simulation Model, Scenario Reports | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points | Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | Systems thinkingDynamicsSimulationAnalysis | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics | ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks |