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Criterion
Design sheets and interface cards connect to jointly written pseudocode with highlighted unresolved questions.
Architecture
ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
Paper illustration showing three sorted card stacks and an open question about a possible group.
UX Research
Card Sorting
A paper-based illustration representing arc42 with its core stages and visible working result.
Architecture
arc42
Purposedifferent
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.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 content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations.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.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowLowLow
Timedifferent
2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional15-45 min20-45 min1-2 Tage
Participantsdifferent
Designers, developers as users, and facilitation1-3Based on research question1-4
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncAsyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisionsADR File, Decision Log, RationaleContent groups, Label set, IA hypothesesArchitecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
Information architectureNavigationStructure
ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication
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