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| Criterion | ![]() Architecture ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs) | ![]() Innovation Crazy 8s | ![]() Innovation Brainstorming | ![]() Innovation Reverse Brainstorming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | With only a few minutes available and a still-fuzzy solution search, the method forces a wide range of variants. It produces fast sketches before the first idea can settle in, making different directions directly comparable and open to further development. | 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. | For persistent errors or blockages, the method shifts the view to the opposite of the desired effect. It exposes the mechanics of failure and makes hidden causes easier to grasp. This makes improvement more concrete and the problem clearer. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional | 8-15 min | 30-60 min | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | Designers, developers as users, and facilitation | 1-10 | 4-12 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions | Sketch Set, Idea Shortlist, Direction Options | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist | Reverse Ideas, Risk Themes, Solution Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks | BrainstormingSketchingSpeedDivergenceDesign sprint | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityRisk |



