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| Criterion |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Decision Making RAPID |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. | In complex management decisions, clarity is often missing about who recommends, who agrees, and who makes the decision. RAPID creates this assignment and stabilizes decisions across several levels. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 45–90 min | 45-90 min | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-8 | 3-10 | 3-12 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | RAPID Role Map, Recommendation, Decision Log | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | SensemakingDecisionRationale | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | DecisionRolesGovernance | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |