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| Criterion |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  Facilitation Dot Voting |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Facilitation Consensus Workshop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 a workshop has produced too many options and the group needs to condense quickly, dot voting makes preferences visible in a short time. It bundles individual votes into a solid signal for the next selection. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 5-15 min | 15-45 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-8 | 3-20 | 1-3 | 5-30 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Ranked list, Consensus signal, Shortlist | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas |
Tagsno overlap | SensemakingDecisionRationale | FacilitationVotingConsensusPrioritization | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment |